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The importance of bioterrorism
The importance of bioterrorism
The importance of bioterrorism
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Bioterrorism: How it Relates to the Health Field
Bioterrorism is an increasing problem that we are faced with into today’s society, with one of the more recently known outbreaks being Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever. Bioterrorism is defined as an attack on humans, plants, and animals that is caused by deliberately released viruses, bacteria, or other germs called agents to cause illness or death. Bioterrorism has many dangers that affect health care, and several ways we can confront and eliminate bioterrorism as well with several federal programs in place to help with the preparedness of health care facilities. There are also different types and categories of bioterrorism. There are three different categories of bioterrorism Category A being a high priority because they can be spread easily from person to person, have high mortality rate and affect public health, and the public has to be specially prepared. Category B which is fairly easy to spread, has low death rates, modest illness rate, and require specific enhancements of CDC’s laboratory capacity. Finally, there is Category C which is pathogens that could be engineered for bioterrorism because they are easy to obtain, easy to make and spread, and have the potential to have a high impact on society, and a possibly have
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Salmonella species, staphylococcal enterotoxin B are both agents that cause food poisoning, and influenza virus which causes influenza. Anthrax is one that can be prevented, but can be obtained by having contact with animals infected with bacillus anthracis and their products. Smallpox is not around anymore since it’s vaccine but it once was a bioterrorism disease that was caused by Variola major. Another disease is the black death from the middle ages that was caused by Yersinia pestis. Bioterrorism dates back to the middle ages, but it is still present today and
Guillemin, J. (2005). Biological weapons: From the invention of state-sponsored programs to contemporary bioterrorism Columbia University Press.
After a series of biochemical tests and evaluation to determine several unknown bacteria, the bacterium Yersinia pestis was chosen to report. The discovery of Y. pestis dates back to 1894 by French/Swiss physician and bacteriologist named Alexandre Yersin. The name Yersinia pestis is synonymous with its more common name, the plague. Y. pestis is known to infect small rodents such as mice and rats, but is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected animal or flea. Although this bacterium is known to still cause illness today, it is infamous for three pandemics that occurred in earlier centuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first recorded pandemic occurred in 541 A.D. and is known as the Justinian Plague. The second pandemic originated in China in 1334 and has received the egregious name the “Black Death.” Finally, the third outbreak took place in the 1860’s and is known as the Modern Plague. It wasn’t until the end of the Modern Plague that scientists discovered the causative agent and mode of transmission of the Yersinia pestis bacterium.
There are many factors that play into how a situation should be handled. For a start, the initial approach to a bioterrorist scene determines the outcome of the fatality of the situation. Also, the technique used to spread an infection is vital because it determines what method would be the best as a counter attack. For example, Robert Bourke states in his book Counter-Terrorism for Emergency Responders that, “vapor release from nerve or blister agents will
Pandemics, once started, are expected to spread worldwide. They cannot be stopped from spreading, once they outbreak, they continuously spread. The Black Death was a disease that spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe. There were approximately 25 million deaths in Europe alone. The Black Death was caused by the bacterium called Yersinia Pestis during the 13th century. The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague was caused by a single contamination of one person. The Black Death was caused by a single bacterium, overcrowding in areas like Europe, which effected a huge part of the population by simply killing it off.
Ryan, Jeffrey R., and Jan F. Glarum. Biosecurity & Bioterrorism: Containing and Preventing Biological Threats. Oxford: Elsevier Inc., 2008.
However, they have not always been the leading diseases. Around as early as 542 AD, a deadly disease broke out in Constaniople and quickly spread around the world within a few hundred years. This disease in considered the worst natural disaster in history. The Bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, is historically the disease that has caused the most deaths and caused China, Europe, and India to shortly stop trade altogether. History has been filled with many disasters.
The rapid pace of vaccine development convinces people that they are safe from the infectious diseases. Unfortunately, the anthrax outbreak in 2001, having killed five people, reveals the vulnerability of the public health, suggesting that further research on contagious epidemics should be developed abruptly. In response to this issue, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) granted Boston University a $128 million funding for the construction of a new leading facility known as the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL or BU Biolab), which would be sited on the Boston University Medical Campus, to battle against contagious ailments. Besides conducting research on infectious diseases, the BU Biolab will also perform research to prepare for bioterrorism (Le Duc). According to the Center for Disease Control, there are four levels of increasing of containment for research on infections ranging from Biosafety Levels 1 through 4 (BSL-1 to BSL-4). While much of the research on epidemics is done in laboratories with BSL-2 to BSL-3, the BU Biolab, with the highest level of precaution, BSL-4, will conduct research on rare contagious epidemics including anthrax, ebola, and plague, which are usually life threatening.
The Center of Disease Control and Prevention has an emergency awareness and response page based off of a zombie apocalypse to help inform people on how they should be ready if a major emergency were to occur. The CDC has a range of research and information from heart disease to the worst, infectious, disease-causing agents. The CDC also shares information about how to prepare and what to do if a bioterrorism attack or pandemic were to occur. The Center of Disease and Control is a diversified government organization that has the main purpose of protecting the public against the serious threats of bioterrorism and dangerous pandemics.
At a time in history when such unique situations are effecting our government, our nation, our foreign policy, and our world, it is important that we, as a nation do all that we can to aide in the dramatic diplomatic decisions that pertain to the welfare of this great nation. Throughout history, America has prevailed in numerous battles, hardships, depressions, and complicated policies that have in all conclusions made her powerful, yet vulnerable at the same time. With the growing effect that the potentiality of war on one or even two fronts has on the citizens of our country, it is detrimental that we continue to keep everyone involved in this shaping situation. One increasingly terrifying mechanism that terrorist cells, among others, have access to use against a state like us is biological warfare. The continuous education, preparation, and prevention of biological weapons are a key factor in defending The United States of America, and the world from the devastation that these weapons of mass destruction may cause.
The human population has a high susceptibility to the contraction of new diseases and outbreaks of these diseases are of high risk. Diseases in recent times that have broken out into the human population are the H7N9 flu strain and SARS. Despite the risk, outbreaks like H7N9 and SARS have been controlled due to epidemiology and other disease control methods. Outbreaks of disease are not uncommon to the human population as they move to new areas around the world with foreign diseases that the native residents would have developed a resistance to.
Throughout history many different diseases have infected the world. Such diseases consist of measles, mumps, malaria, typhus and yellow fever. Many of these diseases are caused by different things and originated in different countries.
... CDC has also trained U.S. health care facilities to deal with Ebola emergencies, and communicate through the “Health Alert Network, the Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity, and a variety of existing tools and mechanisms (Office of the Press Secretary 2014)”. The Ebola epidemic helps remind the U.S. that other nations are there to work with them, and unite to prevent a rapidly growing disease. CDC partners with programs from other nations, such as the Global Disease Detection Centers, and the Field Epidemiology Training Program, which work to stop the Ebola virus. Information systems will grow stronger, more partnerships dedicated to stopping outbreaks will be formed, and laboratory security will also grow.
One of the world’s most dreaded plagues for centuries, smallpox is now eradicated. Vaccination programs were pushed worldwide by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the disease was eliminated from the world. This push resulted in the last naturally occurring case in the world being almost 40 years ago. Once eradicated the once routine or mandatory vaccinations were stopped for the general public and it was deemed no longer necessary to prevent the disease. Although currently eradicated worldwide, two medical laboratory stockpiles still remain in Russia and the United States. With these stockpiles in existence the possibility of bio terrorism emerges and fear of these stockpiles getting into the wrong hands and being weaponized for use against the public is rising. The smallpox disease is highly contagious and easily communicable and currently there is no cure for this disease. If reintroduced, an epidemic would be devastating worldwide.
Thesis: Biological Warfare is morally and inhumanely wrong, It is the wrongful killing of men, women, and children. It should be stopped no matter what the circumstances are.
Department of State, the perception of people on biosecurity threat has evolved as they “see the world in terms of a multipolar, multi-threat environment”. It further stated that “biorisk and matrices to measure the weighted value of each risk have become the norm, and biosecurity and biosafety have come to encompass the use of proper safety measures and facility specifications, as well as the proper training of employees to ensure not only their own safety but that of the public at large.”