There are two main factors that are important for an anthrax infection: bacterial proliferation (growth) and invasion of organ systems and the “…cytotoxic effect of anthrax toxin, with eventual organ failure and death” (Karginov). The first factor occurs once the host has been infected. This infection will never be reached if it were not for a very important characteristic of the bacterium: its ability to form spores. Sporulation occurs in the soil and on culture media but “…not in living tissue, unless exposed to air” (Sakarya). These spores are formed by B. anthracis in soil when the environment becomes inhospitable to growth due to a variety of factors including drought, excessive heat, lack of nutrients, or presence of harsh chemicals. The formation of a spore begins when a bacterium replicates its chromosome and places it within a hard shell. Once the outer cell wall dissolves, the endospore (“inner spore”) is released. This spore can lie dormant in its environment for a long period of time and survive many harsh conditions. Once the environment is favorable for growth, “…the spore will rehydrate to form a vegetative bacterium” (Campbell). Endospores are highly resistant to UV light, temperature extremes, high pH, drying, high salinity (salt) levels, different types of disinfection, and even time. An experiment conducted at Iowa State University in 1978, “…showed that a 50-year old vial of anthrax spores could still give rise to live bacteria” (Boyer). The two main methods for killing spores are incineration and high-pressure steam. The temperature required by these methods that will result in spore death is 240?F. Most laboratories and hospitals use similar conditions to sterilize instruments in an autoclave. Without the help of these spores, the chance for infection by B. anthracis would decrease dramatically. Once a host is infected by the spores and germinates, production of a capsule and three toxin proteins takes place. This leads to an important factor of anthrax infection involving the three toxin proteins: protective antigen (PA), edema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF). To produce “…active toxins, PA must bind to cellular receptors and then to either EF or LF”(Joellenbeck). Binding of the protective antigen to either of the other two toxin proteins will form “…complexes which penetrate the patient’s cells to cause massive cell swelling and rapid cardiovascular collapse” (Hersack). These complexes will contribute to causing the disease. The edema toxin forms edema, which might “increase host susceptibility to infection with B.
Anthrax is one of the most preferred biological warfare agents for many highly identified reasons. First, anthrax is extremely lethal. Anthrax can contain up to 100 million lethal doses in just one gram of anthrax spores, which is 100,000 times more lethal than any other biological warfare agent. It is also known that inhalation anthrax is almost always fatal if the symptoms are allowed to progress without any treatment. Anthrax is also the silent and invisible killer. On top of the fatality rate of anthrax, there are also very low barriers to produce the biological weapon. Anthrax spores are very easy to produce in large quantities, and the process of production is very inexpensive. Also, there is plenty of available information on how to weaponize anthrax and not a whole lot of technology is needed to be able to produce anthrax. Anthrax is also easy to weaponize because it is extremely stable as a dry powder in the form of spores. These spores can live for decades and still be very lethal to the human body. Anthrax can be put into an aerosol form disseminated into a spray can, and it can also be freeze-dried into a bomb. Presently anthrax is the most preferred biological agent is because we have no accurate detection capability.
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...
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.
Bacterial growth may be controlled by many methods; the techniques relevant to this experiment include heat, ultraviolet (UV) light, and antimicrobial control. Using heat as a means of controlling bacterial growth is favorable because it is quick, safe, and cost-effective (Nester, 2007). There are two kinds of heat: moist heat, which destroys the proteins of microorganisms by boiling or steaming, and dry heat, which requires high temperatures to oxidize cell components and damage proteins by incineration or dry heat ovens (Nester, 2007). Cellular proteins are essential in carrying out important biological activities, so without them, the bacteria will not be able to survive (Nester, 2007). Moist heat is widely used to treat drinking water,
Medical College of Wisconsin. “Facts About Anthrax and Smallpox as Bioterrorism Weapons.” Healthlink. 12 Nov. 2001. Medical College of Wisconsin. 24 July 2008 .
Bacillus anthracis or anthrax is bacteria that infect thousands of people a year worldwide. Mostly found in the hinds and hair of grazing animals like cattle and sheep, the bacteria can stay dormant for years until contacted. Contact can occur through broken skin, eating infected meat, or inhaling infected dust from hides through the mouth or nostrils. Normal contact through the skin begins forming malignant skin ulcers that are dark black in appearance. If left untreated, the blisters lead to blood poisoning and eventually death. Eating contaminated meat not fully cooked can cause intestinal infection also leading to death. Surprisingly, many people survive contact of the skin and very few cases of intestinal infection exist. However, inhalation of infected dust or spores are much more deadly because the symptoms resemble a common cold...
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...
Lee, E. (2002). A small-pox experience in California. February 1912. The American Journal of Nursing, 102, 2, 5-7.
For approximately three-thousand years, smallpox has ravaged and plagued the four corners of the globe. In fact, in the 17 th and 18 th centuries, it was claimed to be the most infectious disease in the West, with an astounding 90% mortality rate in America. It wasn't until 1796, with English surgeon Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccination, that the world saw relief from this devastating virus. However, even with this inoculation in use, the world continued to witness death from both the virus and the vaccine. In the year 1966, it was estimated that 10-15 million infected citizens world wide had passed away from smallpox that year alone ( “History” 12). As a result of these devastating numbers, in the following year, 1967, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) created a program to eradicate the smallpox virus. Ten years later, in 1977, the estimated 10-15 million cases had dwindled down to one; a man in Somalia. Three years later, W.H.O. officially announced that smallpox had been eradicated, leaving the only remaining virus cultures stored and guarded in laboratories in Russia and the United States. Inoculations ceased, smallpox epidemics were non-existent, and the virus was no longer a concern. In order to ensure complete eradication of this deadly virus, the W.H.O. insisted that the remaining smallpox cultures be destroyed by 1999 ( “Smallpox Eradication” 2). However, despite the W.H.O.'s recommendation, the remaining cultures continue to be contained and protected to this day, five years after the suggested date of elimination.
...merithrax Investigation :. : Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety and Biodefense Law., 31 July 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. .
Anthrax is a very real and dangerous threat to all people who come in contact with it. The bacterial infection is caused by the bacteriaium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is divided into three categories all are contracted in different ways. The first type is called Cutaneous Anthrax; this is where anthrax spores make contact with the skin. If there is a cut or a lesion then a person can be infected. Cutaneous Anthrax is the most common way to get anthrax, but is also the least lethal. The second type of anthrax is called Pulmonary Anthrax this is where a person inhales the spores of anthrax directly into the lungs. If this type of anthrax is left untreated it could lead to death. The third type of anthrax is called Gastrointestinal Anthrax, this form results from eating meat from animals that have been infected with the anthrax bacteria. This causes the intestinal tract to become infected and this from is almost always fatal. This particular mode of anthrax has never been seen in the United States.
The Chickenpox virus is a horrible and painful infection. The highly contagious virus, known as Chickenpox, can be a fatal disease if not properly taken care of. The Chickenpox disease, etiology, signs and symptoms, history, and prevention is important for every individual to know about so they can be aware. The Chickenpox infection has been researched throughout the years, and the CDC continuously informs people how important getting vaccinated is (National Institutes of Health, 2017).
Streptococcus pyogenes is a very common bacteria found in humans. It is very transmissible and can be caught through the air via coughing or sneezing. This form of Strep. illness is referred to as Streptococcal pharyngitis, also known as Strep. throat, which can complicate into Scarlet Fever. It is also possible to be infected through abrasions of the skin, which can result in cellulitis, impetigo, or even necrotizing fasciitis. Aside from human to human contact, these bacteria can also be found in unpasteurized milk. There is no vaccine for Streptococcal infections, though antibiotics such as penicillin still work very well against them.
In this method, living spores which are resistant to whichever sterilizing agent is being tested are prepared in either a self contained system, such as dry sp...
The duration of the experiment should be increased as the thermal death times of B. subtilis at 60, 70 and 80°C were unable to be determined within 110 minutes. The duration can be increased to 180 minutes so as to better investigate its thermal death times. If the presence of bacterial growth was still observed after 180 minutes of exposure, it can be assumed that B. subtilis is able to survive well in that temperature. An exposure time of one day can be carried out to confirm this assumption.