Anthrax Case

Anthrax-A Biological Threat to the U.S.

There are many risks for terrorist attacks against the U.S. these days. Whether it is nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, we are always at risks for attack. Biological weapons are a huge threat because they are relatively easy to be obtained. Biological weapons have totally changed warfare in the 21st century. One of the biggest biological threats against the U.S. is anthrax.

Let's look at why a country would decide to use biological agents as a method of warfare. Biological weapons give inferior nations a way to fight far more powerful countries and be successful by causing mass panic. First of all, biological weapons are far more inexpensive than other weapons of mass destruction. It has been calculated that one would have to spend eight hundred dollars to one to get the same impact out of nuclear weapons as you could biological weapons. Second, dual-use equipment means that there is the ability to produce legal vaccines and biological agents. This lowers the cost of Biological Warfare because the facility can also be used for legal activity. Third, Biological Weapons silently inflict damage unlike bombs. Finally, Biological Weapons have an incubation period and this would work to the enemy's advantage.

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is one of the oldest recorded diseases known to man. The disease exists amongst wild and domestic animals including cattle, horses, sheep, cats, and monkeys. Naturally occurring anthrax in humans is caught by coming into contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.

Anthrax infection in humans comes in three forms: cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and inhalational. These forms also describe how a person is exposed to the disease. The cutaneous form is the most common. The gastrointestinal form is much more fatal and may