FOOD SECURITY

Food Security and Bioterrorism

Food Security and Bioterrorism

Introduction

Bioterrorism involves the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria or other agents used to cause illness or death in people, animals or plants. These agents typically are found in nature, but it is possible that they could be changed to increase their ability to cause disease, to be resistant to current medicines or to be spread into the environment. Biological agents can be spread through the air, through water or in food. Terrorists may use biological agents because they can be extremely difficult to detect and do not cause illness for several hours to several days. Some bioterrorism agents, such as the smallpox virus, can be spread from person to person, while others, such as anthrax, cannot.

According to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) that are used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. These agents are typically found in nature, but it is possible that they could be changed to increase their ability to cause disease, make them resistant to current medicines, or to increase their ability to be spread into the environment. Biological agents can be spread through the air, through water, or in food. Terrorists may use biological agents because they can be extremely difficult to detect and do not cause illness for several hours to several days. Some bioterrorism agents, like the smallpox virus, can be spread from person to person and some, like anthrax, cannot.

Bioterrorist Agents

Anthrax

Anthrax is a serious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a bacterium that forms spores. There are three types of anthrax: skin (cutaneous), lung (inhalation) and digestive (gastrointestinal). Anthrax is not known to spread from one person to another. Humans can become infected with anthrax by handling products from infected animals or by breathing in anthrax spores from infected animal products (wool, for example). People can become infected with gastrointestinal anthrax by eating undercooked meat from infected animals. Anthrax also can be used as a weapon, as happened in the United States in 2001.

Botulism

Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The three main kinds are food borne botulism, which occurs when a person ingests preformed toxin that leads to illness within a few hours to days; infant botulism, which occurs in a small number of susceptible infants each year who harbor C botulinum in their intestinal tract; and wound botulism, which occurs whenwounds are infected with C. botulinum that secretes the toxin. Although all forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies, food borne botulism especially is dangerous because many people can be poisoned by eating contaminated food.

Plague

Plague is a disease caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium found in rodents and their fleas in many areas around the world. Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs. Transmission can take place if someone breathes in Y. pestis particles, which could happen in an aerosol release ...