Infectious Disease: Anthrax

Infectious Disease: Anthrax

Introduction

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. Infection in humans most often involves the skin (cutaneous anthrax), the gastrointestinal tract, or the lungs (inhalation anthrax). The other alternate names for anthrax are Wool sorter's disease, Rag picker's disease.

Humans can acquire anthrax through contact with animal hides or hair, bone products, and wool, as well as contact with infected animals. Historically, the populations most at risk for anthrax include farm workers, veterinarians, and tannery and wool workers.

Background

High hopes were once vested in the Biological Weapons and Toxins Convention, which prohibited offensive biological weapons research or production and were signed by most countries. . The possibility of a terrorist attack using bioweapons would be especially difficult to predict, detect, or prevent, and thus, it is among the most feared terrorist scenarios. (Bartlett,1999)

Anthrax as a mass threat to humans is a creation of imperialism. Germany tried halfheartedly to use it during World War I. During World War II, most warring parties had biowarfare programs; Japan used anthrax in China. During World War 2, the Japanese and German imperialists both had biological-weapons programs. According to Jane's Intelligence Review, Japan “developed an anthrax bomb and built a BW (biological weapons) factory near Harbin in Manchuria. Weapons were tested but did not enter full operational use. They experimented with plague, cholera, typhoid and anthrax. About 2000 POWs were used as guinea pigs and China alleges 11 cities were attacked with plague causing 700 fatalities.”( FRANK,1969)

After the defeat of Japan and Germany in World War 2, the U.S. and British imperialists continued the research and development of biological weapons, including anthrax. According to Jane's Intelligence Review, “The U.S. was involved in a BW (biological weapons) programme, having secretly employed Japanese and Nazi germ warfare experts after the Second World War. By the 1950s there was some indication that the U.S. was prepared to use BWs.”(Frederick, 1956)

For centuries, anthrax has caused disease in animals and, uncommonly, serious illness in humans throughout the world. (Frederick, 1956)

Research on anthrax as a biological weapon began more than 80 years ago. Today, at least 17 nations are believed to have offensive biological weapons programs it is uncertain how many are working with anthrax. Iraq has acknowledged producing and weaponizing anthrax.

Most experts concur that the manufacture of a lethal anthrax aerosol is beyond the capacity of individuals or groups without access to advanced biotechnology. However, autonomous groups with substantial funding and contacts may be able to acquire the required materials for a successful attack.

Indeed, using biological or chemical weapons as agents of mass destruction still looks very difficult. The main problem for those wanting to use such weapons remains delivery. One terrorist group, Aum Shinrikyo, responsible for the release of sarin in a Tokyo, Japan, subway station in 1995, dispersed aerosols of anthrax and botulism throughout Tokyo on at least 8 occasions. The intention was to kill thousands but only 12 people died. Despite having spent $30m, the cult could not ...