Anthrax Bioterrorism in the USA

Anthrax Bioterrorism in the USA: For this week’s discussion, you are asked to research a bioterrorist incident. Begin by reviewing the Media Focus video on bioterrorism in Week 3 of the Content and Activities, then explore the Internet.

Give an example and details from national/international news of a bioterrorist attack.

Address all of the following in your post:

• What was the classification of biological agents used in the attack?
• Discuss the implications of the biological agent.
• Discuss the therapy for the biological agent.
• What are the decontamination procedures for the biological agent used in the attack?
• Define the appropriate level of PPE required for this type of biological agent?

In your post, provide the name of the incident you have chosen, and support your answers with evidence/examples. Please provide a working link and a citation for your source(s).

In your replies to peers, compare the different biological agents, their implications, and therapies. Discuss the different types of decontamination procedures and levels of PPE that would be required.

Support your answer with evidence from scholarly sources.

Anthrax Bioterrorism in the USA

Bioterrorism is the use of biological agents such as viruses, fungi, bacteria among other
pathogenic microorganisms, with the intention of causing disease and death in both men,
livestock, and crops with the aim of terrorizing a given population or as a tool for government
manipulation (Jansen et al., 2014). Anthrax bioterrorism, which occurred in September 2001 in
America used the biological agent anthrax spores called Bacillus anthracis. Which belongs to
the Genus Bacillus, class Bacilli, and phylum Firmicutes. According to the CDC, there were 22
patients that were confirmed with cases of anthrax. Half of the number had inhalation anthrax
and five of them passed on, and the other remaining 11 were having cutaneous anthrax, and none
of them died.
The therapy for this biological agent that was employed in the treatment was by the use
of Ciprofloxacin which was effective in the post-exposure of inhalational anthrax. The
decontamination procedures used during this attack include: – patients keeping contaminated
clothes in tight plastic bags. Agitation should be avoided by reducing the incidences of handling
clothes. And finally, personal hygiene by the patients through thorough bathing using soap and
water. The best PPEs for anthrax according to CDC are, Face masks, eye protection, and
protective gloves.
In conclusion, there are several biological weapons that have been used since 14 th century
BC and the rate of bioterrorism have increased over the years with more dangerous viruses and
bacterial spores employed to kill people.

References
Lane HC, Fuci AS. Microbial Bioterrorism. In: Kasper DL, Braunwald E, editors. Harrison’s
Principle of Internal Medicine. 16th ed. McGraw Hill; New York: 2005. pp. 1279–1288.
Jansen, H. J., Breeveld, F. J., Stijnis, C., & Grobusch, M. P. (2014). Biological warfare,
bioterrorism, and biocrime. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 20(6), 488-496.
https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/animal-products/exposure-protection.html