Research Proposal on Anthrax
Anthrax has been around for years, but it is now in this time of fear that it has been brought to the forefront. Panic has caused Americans to worry about a disease that at it’s worst took the life of 66 people when spores were released from a bio-weapons plant in Sverdlovsk, Russia, in 1979 as stated in Beckly and Isikoff, 2001, p34-35. This disease Anthrax is “a rare, infectious disease that is transmitted to humans most commonly by farm animals. The disease is caused by the bacterium Bachillus anthracis.” (World Book Medical Encyclopedia, 1988) The disease although used by terrorist, as a biological weapon is not believed to be related to the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001.
Anthrax can be absorbed through the body in three ways either by touch, which is the most common and happens in 95% of anthrax cases. Usually it happens with workers who come in contact with contaminated wool, animal hair products or animal hides. They symptoms include rashes that last 1 to 2 days after exposure. The bumps then turn to fluid filled vesicles, which later turn black. Antibiotics are the most effective type of medication against this type of exposure, if untreated 20% of cases are fatal. (Leomanick, 35).
__________________________________________________________Anthrax can be absorbed through the body in three ways either by touch, which is the most common and happens in 95% of anthrax cases. Usually it happens with workers who come in contact with contaminated wool, animal hair products or animal hides. They symptoms include rashes that last 1 to 2 days after exposure. The bumps then turn to fluid filled vesicles, which later turn black. Antibiotics are the most effective type of medication against this type of exposure, if untreated 20% of cases are fatal. (Leomanick, 35).
__________________________________________________________
Anthrax can also be eaten from an animal that is infected with the disease. It can lead to vomiting and nausea along with sever diarrhea although that is rare. Taking antibiotics such as citofloxacin and tetracycline an ingredient found in cold and flu medications can treat it. When not treated about 25% to 60% succumb to death. (Leomanick, 35)
The most dangerous form that Anthrax can enter the body is by inhalation, which is the rare, but the most deadly form. It can take anywhere from 2 to 60 days for the virus to become active that is why stocking up on cipro and taking a month supply of it won’t work. The symptoms you get are like the flu, chills and nausea accompany fever and the disease fills your lungs with fluids that when left untreated kills 90% of its victims. (Leomanick, 35)
Getting anthrax to be used as a weapon for mass death is very difficult. The one case where the greatest effort was put into it was by Japan’s Aum Shinrikyo cult who tried spreading Anthrax from a rooftop in Tokyo but failed and he had 300 million dollars to use at his disposal, yet even his cult was unable to much destruction. As on FBI agent puts it “my instinct says it’s a nutcase.” stated in Beckly and Isikoff 34. If the mail cases where to be by terrorist one would suspect that it would be aimed at killing mass amount of people not just 6 or 7. As one American Media worker put it it’s like the September 11 terrorist commandeering a motorcycle and driving it into a telephone booth. (As cited in Lemonick 33). Meaning that terrorist aim to kill a lot of people. Making the latest incidents not likely to be terrorist acts. The terrorist would want to have the effect of a plague like what happened in Egypt stated in the World Book Encyclopedia, 1991 545.
As the days pass by more and more people are being sent letters with anthrax in them in some cases just being false alarm. The fear of Anthrax has caused people to swamp hospitals especially in New York where they cannot handle the number of calls received a day of Anthrax scares. The effect of this is causing the economy to take a downfall for whoever is behind the mailings is causing millions of dollars being spent on increased security and on studies that are being made of the disease.
Although the military has made a vaccine that does not eliminate the anthrax but has a 93% rate of efficiency it does not have many vaccines because the facility did not meet to medical standards. Other methods are being thought to fight anthrax such as stated by Andrew Revkin the Ion Beam, a laser that would kill bacteria inside the mail but is not yet allowed to be used because of the fact it can destroy digital disks and discolor pictures. (Revkin Andrew C.). To prevent cases from happening like the one in Virginia to a 59-year-old postal mail handler. (Rosenbaum and Purden).
In conclusion the Anthrax can be used as bio-chemical weapon but it is very unlikely that, it is being done by the terrorist since they would most likely do a more massive attack not just affect a couple of people. Anthrax is not an easy disease to use for massive destruction. The terrorist would be better of using small pox or other more contagious diseases if they are to try to do an act of mass destruction.
The acts that have happened with the mail is more probable to be from a small group that wants to inflict fear into a society that is already unstable because of the events of September 11, 2001. People should not panic and go out and get antibiotics for it is not going to do taking medication when you are not infected in essence the people who do take when they have nothing are more likely to get sick.
The most dangerous form that Anthrax can enter the body is by inhalation, which is the rare, but the most deadly form. It can take anywhere from 2 to 60 days for the virus to become active that is why stocking up on cipro and taking a month supply of it won’t work. The symptoms you get are like the flu, chills and nausea accompany fever and the disease fills your lungs with fluids that when left untreated kills 90% of its victims. (Leomanick, 35)
Getting anthrax to be used as a weapon for mass death is very difficult. The one case where the greatest effort was put into it was by Japan’s Aum Shinrikyo cult who tried spreading Anthrax from a rooftop in Tokyo but failed and he had 300 million dollars to use at his disposal, yet even his cult was unable to much destruction. As on FBI agent puts it “my instinct says it’s a nutcase.” stated in Beckly and Isikoff 34. If the mail cases where to be by terrorist one would suspect that it would be aimed at killing mass amount of people not just 6 or 7. As one American Media worker put it it’s like the September 11 terrorist commandeering a motorcycle and driving it into a telephone booth. (As cited in Lemonick 33). Meaning that terrorist aim to kill a lot of people. Making the latest incidents not likely to be terrorist acts. The terrorist would want to have the effect of a plague like what happened in Egypt stated in the World Book Encyclopedia, 1991 545.
As the days pass by more and more people are being sent letters with anthrax in them in some cases just being false alarm. The fear of Anthrax has caused people to swamp hospitals especially in New York where they cannot handle the number of calls received a day of Anthrax scares. The effect of this is causing the economy to take a downfall for whoever is behind the mailings is causing millions of dollars being spent on increased security and on studies that are being made of the disease.
Although the military has made a vaccine that does not eliminate the anthrax but has a 93% rate of efficiency it does not have many vaccines because the facility did not meet to medical standards. Other methods are being thought to fight anthrax such as stated by Andrew Revkin the Ion Beam, a laser that would kill bacteria inside the mail but is not yet allowed to be used because of the fact it can destroy digital disks and discolor pictures. (Revkin Andrew C.). To prevent cases from happening like the one in Virginia to a 59-year-old postal mail handler. (Rosenbaum and Purden).
In conclusion the Anthrax can be used as bio-chemical weapon but it is very unlikely that, it is being done by the terrorist since they would most likely do a more massive attack not just affect a couple of people. Anthrax is not an easy disease to use for massive destruction. The terrorist would be better of using small pox or other more contagious diseases if they are to try to do an act of mass destruction.
The acts that have happened with the mail is more probable to be from a small group that wants to inflict fear into a society that is already unstable because of the events of September 11, 2001. People should not panic and go out and get antibiotics for it is not going to do taking medication when you are not infected in essence the people who do take when they have nothing are more likely to get sick.
___________________________________________________________
Warning!!! All free online research paper proposals, research paper samples and example research papers on Anthrax topics are plagiarized and cannot be fully used in your high school, college or university education.
If you need a custom research paper, research proposal, essay, dissertation, thesis paper or term paper on your topic, EffectivePapers.com will write your research proposal or research papers from scratch. Starting at $12/page you can order custom written papers online. We work with experienced PhD. and Master's freelance writers to help you with writing any academic papers in any subject! High quality and 100% non-plagiarized papers guaranteed!
___________________________________________________________Warning!!! All free online research paper proposals, research paper samples and example research papers on Anthrax topics are plagiarized and cannot be fully used in your high school, college or university education.
If you need a custom research paper, research proposal, essay, dissertation, thesis paper or term paper on your topic, EffectivePapers.com will write your research proposal or research papers from scratch. Starting at $12/page you can order custom written papers online. We work with experienced PhD. and Master's freelance writers to help you with writing any academic papers in any subject! High quality and 100% non-plagiarized papers guaranteed!
