Anthrax

724 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Bacillus cereus

Bacillus anthracis is a bacterium that lives in soil (Medline Plus, 2010) and can cause a serious disease called anthrax. According to the CDC (2006), while anthrax is not known to spread between humans, humans are commonly infected by handling infected animals or animal products. The CDC goes on to explain that there are three types of anthrax: cutaneous – obtained through cuts and open sores, lungs – obtained through the inhalation of spores of the bacteria, e.g. in the wool of animals, and digestive – obtained through consuming infected meat.

Unfortunately, anthrax can be isolated and utilized as a weapon, which we experienced in the U.S. in 2001, when anthrax was deliberately placed in envelopes and distributed (Medline Plus, 2010). The CDC has a method for classifying agents that pose a bioterrorism threat to the nation into categories A-C. Anthrax is categorized as a category A which according to the CDC (2006) means (directly quoted):

 Anthrax “poses the greatest possible threat for a bad effect on public health.”

 Anthrax “may spread across a large area or need public awareness.”

 This threat needs “a great deal of planning to protect the public’s health.”

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, 2009), while anthrax is treatable with antibiotics if detected early, as the symptoms mimic other infections, the infected person does not seek medical attention until it is too late.

The symptoms the CDC (2006) warns of depend on the method of infection:

 Cutaneous – A small, non-painful sore will develop into a blister and then convert to an ulcer with a black center. This form of infection by anthrax is the least dangerous and left untreated carries an 80% survival rate.

...

... middle of paper ...

... sent to you so you can read up on the information. It’s a great way of remaining in tune and in touch with the most current information being posted. I have to admit that I have not yet set up any alerts as I just learned about this the other day, but I plan on using this system to my advantage and to keep myself educated.

Have any of you been affected or dealt with anthrax threats or cases? Aimee, I suspect with your military background that you may have some experience in this matter? How many of you had educated yourself about anthrax?

Works Cited

CDC, (2006) Antrax: What you need to know. Retrieved from http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/needtoknow.asp

Medline Plus, (2010) Anthrax. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anthrax.html

NIAID, (2009) Anthrax. Retrieved from http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/anthrax/Pages/default.aspx

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of The Documented Life By Sherry Turrkle

    350 Words  | 1 Pages

    1. It has become a habit in this technically advanced world to constantly check your mobile device for messages from social media, regardless of the setting you are in.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Hot Zone

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another aspect of the story is associated with Major Nancy Jaax. She is a member of USAMRIID or United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. USAMRIID does research on different w...

    Read More

  • Bioterrorism with Anthrax

    538 Words  | 2 Pages

    If an outbreak of anthrax were to occur it would probably happen in a form of an aerosol device of anthrax spores. The intentional bioterrorism outbreak would result in multiple cases of inhalation anthrax. If the outbreak was done by an aerosol can, there would be no indication of an attack because the United States, or anywhere else for that matter, does not have any appropriate method of detection for odorless, colorless, and tasteless spores of anthrax. This outbreak would cause the certain death of the first infected, since physicians in the U.S. would probably not detect anthrax as a cause of the patient’s flu-like symptoms. Most U.S. doctors and radiologists and lab personnel have not seen a form of inhalation anthrax and would not be able to identify it or notice Bacillus anthracis in a blood culture. Since an outdoor release of these spores can travel multiple miles and it only takes one gram to kill 10 million people, it could quite possible create extremely high fatality rates. In one city alone it is estimated that the release of aerosol anthrax could cause the death of up to 3 million people within the first couple of weeks.

    Read More

  • United States Anthrax Attacks of 2001

    2249 Words  | 5 Pages

    The 2001 anthrax attacks was one of the worst bio-weapon attacks on the US in history. The attacks where done through the mail. The anthrax was placed in envelopes with a letter and mailed from various locations to different people and organizations. The anthrax filled letters ended up killing 5 people, causing 17 to become sick and exposing anthrax it is believed to as many as 30,000 people. During the mail process spores of anthrax from the letters escaped and got on mailroom equipment exposing postal employees. If a person was exposed to enough anthrax and developed symptoms they typically died in a few days. Postal workers during the attacks where told that anthrax will appear as a white powder t...

    Read More

  • The Schistosomiasis Parasite in Contaminated Water

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Treatment: Chemotherapy is on treatment method. Most infected people benefit from the treatments. To of the best drugs for treatment are Praziquantel and Oxamniquine. The side effects are mild and transient, some of then are as followed:

    Read More

  • Herpes-simplex: Type 2

    490 Words  | 1 Pages

    may last one to three weeks. In many cases new clusters of blisters appear as

    Read More

  • Steven Hatfill: Innocent, Yet Accused

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Linkous, J. (2004). More details on new anthrax search. Retrieved Oct. 06, 2005, from CBS News Web site: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/05/national/main647441.shtml.

    Read More

  • Smallpox in America

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    The perspective the author gives to this book is a unique. Smallpox according to most histories does not play the role of a major character, but a minor part. In my opinion smallpox was a major factor during the Revolutionary War, and Feen focuses on several key areas which allows us to see just how bad this epidemic was and the grip it had not only on the soldiers, but the colonist as well.

    Read More

  • Military Anthrax Vaccination

    1175 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the end of the Persian Gulf War, the United States along with the United Nations has struggled with Saddam Hussein to locate his “weapons of mass destruction”. Saddam’s persistence and dubious manner towards the United States military has raised concern for military protection. To combat biological threats, Secretary of Defense William Cohen implemented a mandatory military wide vaccination of all military members. Since the inception of the program, the program has been the subject of criticism by military members, Veteran Associations, Doctors, and many Senators on Capital Hill. The criticisms have stirred questions regarding the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. Questions that the military has not given clear answers to. Until the many questions regarding the vaccine are answered, service members should not be forced to undergo the vaccination program against anthrax.

    Read More

  • Smallpox

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although the Columbian Exchange allowed for the beneficial exchange of cultures, ideas, foods, and animals around the world during the 1450-1750 time period, it also had a dark side. One detrimental result of the Columbian Exchange would be the spreading of smallpox from Europe to the New World.

    Read More

  • Rabies And Anthrax Vaccines

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    Louis Pasteur, in 1881, discovered the anthrax vaccine. Anthrax is an infection caused by many bacteria cells called “Bacillus”. These bacteria make “spores” which have a protective shell. This disease is most common in farm animals. They live in soil, and affect domestic a...

    Read More

  • Greg Beato Internet Addiction

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    “But who among us doesn’t already check his email more often than necessary” Greg Beato writes in paragraph 9, and his statements are extremely accurate. Over the years, we have become

    Read More

  • Anthrax

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anthrax can be treated in two ways through antibiotics and vaccines. If caught in the early stages antibiotics are useful in killing the B. anthracis as it tries to reproduce in both humans and animals. The second method of treatment is useful only when the individual receives treatment prior to being infected with Anthrax. Before an individual is infected with anthrax they can receive a vaccine that is very useful in combating the bacterium. Vaccines are currently licensed for limited use. People who are considered eligible for the vaccine are members of the military, veterinarians, laboratory workers, livestock handlers, and abattoir (slaughterhouse) workers.

    Read More

  • Bacteria

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bacterial cells, like plant cells, are surrounded by a cell wall. However, bacterial cell walls are made up of polysaccharide chains linked to amino acids, while plant cell walls are made up of cellulose, which contains no amino acids. Many bacteria secrete a slimy capsule around the outside of the cell wall. The capsule provides additional protection for the cell. Many of the bacteria that cause diseases in animals are surrounded by a capsule. The capsule prevents the white blood cells and antibodies from destroying the invading bacterium. Inside the capsule and the cell wall is the cell membrane. In aerobic bacteria, the reactions of cellular respiration take place on fingerlike infoldings of the cell membrane. Ribosomes are scattered throughout the cytoplasm, and the DNA is generally found in the center of the cell. Many bacilli and spirilla have flagella, which are used for locomotion in water. A few types of bacteria that lack flagella move by gliding on a surface. However, the mechanism of this gliding motion is unknown. Most bacteria are aerobic, they require free oxygen to carry on cellular respiration. Some bacteria, called facultatibe anaerobes can live in either the presence or absence of free oxygen. They obtain energy either by aerobic respiration when oxygen is present or by fermentation when oxygen is absent. Still other bacteria cannot live in the presence of oxygen. These are called obligate anaerobes. Such bacteria obtain energy only fermentation. Through fermentation, different groups of bacteria produce a wide variety of organic compounds. Besides ethyl alcohol and lactic acid, bacterial fermentation can produce acetic acid, acetone, butyl alcohol, glycol, butyric acid, propionic acid, and methane, the main component of natural gas. Most bacteria are heterotrophic bacteria are either saprophytes or parasites. Saprophytes feed on the remains of dead plants and animals, and ordinarily do not cause disease. They release digestive enzymes onto the organic matter. The enzymes breakdown the large food molecules into smaller molecules, which are absorbed by the bacterial cells. Parasites live on or in living organisms, and may cause disease. A few types of bacteria are Autotrophic, they can synthesize the organic nutrients they require from inorganic substances. Autotrophic bacteria are either photosynthetic or Chemosynthetic. The photosynthetic bacteria contain chlorophyll that are different from the plant chlorophyll. In bacterial photosynthesis, hydrogen is obtained by the splitting of compounds other than water.

    Read More

  • Social Media and its Impact

    1467 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...few days to send in the mail could now be sent on social media websites in a matter of seconds.

    Read More

More about Anthrax

Open Document