Anthrax and Bioterrorism :: Biological Terrorism Terrorist Homeland Security

Bioterrorism, in the last decade, has become a real threat to the world. Since the anthrax attacks on American soil in 2001, the world has become aware of the potential risk of an anthrax attack. Anthrax is the disease caused by the Bacillus anthracis bacteria. Ever since early history, anthrax has occurred in livestock animals and in humans. The bacteria prevent the macrophages from communicating with the rest of the body. Thus, the body cannot fend of anthrax and slowly organs begin to deteriorate. However, a series of antibiotics and vaccinations are available in case of an exposure to anthrax. Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax, has recently become a greatly feared pandemic. The breakout of anthrax on American soil in October of 2001 opened the world's eyes to the possibilities of bioterrorism of anthrax. Since then, government associations, such as the CDC and EPA, have taken precautions in case of another bioterrorist attack, particularly an anthrax attack. The history of anthrax dates back to biblical times in ancient Egypt (Anthrax Info 1). In 16th Century B.C., the Israelites were under the control of powerful Ramses II. According to Bible, a series of plagues fell upon Egypt in attempt to free the Israelites. One of these plagues involved the death of the cattle, sheep, and goats. Many historians believed the cause of death was due to anthrax inhalation. The first non-livestock case of anthrax occurred in the early 19th Century (Anthrax Info 4). After coming into contact with anthrax infected animals, many farmers were cutaneously inoculated with anthrax. This outbreak sparked the scientific research of anthrax. 2 Written documentation of anthrax began with Robert Koch's discovery of the bacteria that caused anthrax. Koch performed experiments that explained the attributes of anthrax. Using the spleens of anthrax infected animals, Koch inoculated mice (Elsevier 3). The mice later died and Koch concluded that anthrax could be transferred through the bloodstream. Koch also grew Bacillus anthracis in a culture to further his research. During the incubation process, Koch noticed that the bacteria formed spores when faced with a harsh environment (Elsevier 4). He later discovered that such spores could still cause the anthrax disease. Because of his revolutionary findings, Koch is credited with discovery of anthrax. Using Koch’s discoveries, 20th Century scientists began developing weaponized anthrax. Due to the spores’ durability, anthrax has been a very favorable biological weapon. The first incident of weaponized anthrax was recorded during the First World War.