Sverdlovsk’s Mysterious Anthrax Outbreak

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Sverdlovsk’s Mysterious Anthrax Outbreak
The unexplained death of many of Sverdlovsk’s citizens, contaminated meat and numerous diseased animals during April and May of 1979 raised worldwide concern. All of the victims were discovered to have shown signs of anthrax during their autopsies and the suspicion of Soviet government manipulating biological weapons intensified. The outbreak of anthrax in Sverdlovsk terrorized the world during this timeframe due to a possibility of a global epidemic. The Sverdlovsk incident was significant because the origin of this widespread bacteria is still disputable; the devastating affects of a global anthrax outbreak and the assumption of the Soviet government handling biological warfare weapons.
Dispute of Outbreak Causes
The Soviet governments announced that the nature of the incident that caused 96 deaths in the city of Sverdlovsk was a result do to the consumption of contaminated meat. Much scientific research was followed after this government deduction and the research supported that the incident was far more complex than the Soviet government exposed it to be. The United States contributed that the inappropriate handling of the deadly bacteria of anthrax caused the incident. As a result of the global pressure for precise answers towards the Soviet government, it was acknowledged by military officials that during this time frame a vaccine for anthrax was being experimented in a military microbiology facility near the affected region. After many years of disputes and unanswered questions, Soviet government officials finally admitted that the military facility in the city of Sverdlovsk could have been the reason for the epidemic. The government officials also communicated they doubted that th...

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...in the event of a widespread outbreak. Mass Casualty Decontamination is just one of the many measures we take to protect the homeland. Hospital, Police, Fire department, Homeland security and other three letter agencies now train on one similar plan to not only prevent situations like this but control and contain the spread of contamination throughout the United States. Hopefully we will never have to deal with an outbreak like this.

Works Cited

Buratovich, M. A. (2013). Anthrax and biological warfare. Salem Press Encyclopedia
Of Science.
Meselson, M., Guillemin, J., Hugh-Jones, M., Langmuir, A., & al, e. (1994).
The sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak of 1979. Science, 266(5188), 1202. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213540738?accountid=32521
Watt, D. A. (2013). Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention of 1972. Salem
Press Encyclopedia Of Science,

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