Bioterrorism and Biosecurity Research Paper

Introduction to Biological Terrorism (Bioterrorism)

Apart from the normal transmission of disease pathogenic micro-organisms and agents in the environment, their (i.e. biological agents) probable use as military hardware of biological warfare and bio-terrorism has attained a far more important in recent times. Biological agents are living organisms or their toxic products that can kill or incapacitate people, livestock, and plants. Bio-terrorism can be defined as the use of biological agents to cause death, disability or damage mainly to human beings. Thus, bio-terrorism is a method of terrorist activity to prevail against mass panic and slow mass casualties (Collin County Texas, 2009).

Biological terrorism refers to the scientific way of terrorism where people use readily available biological weapons in the destruction of lives. Many organisms especially the pathogenic micro-organisms have been used in the implication of international terrorism in several parts of the world, because of poor or difficulty in detection procedures by the responsible security organizations. In this Bioterrorism, biological agents mostly pathogenic organisms such as Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia Pestis, Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella organisms, E. coli e.t.c. are all agricultural pests, to kill people or cause pathological illness to people, to infuse a sense of fear and panic to affected people and also to threaten governments or societies for either economical, political or ideological achievement (Collin County Texas, 2009).

Potential biological agent of terrorism in Texas, the technique of dissemination, rationale of its use and fatality rates

Bacillus anthracis is the organism that causes the disease Anthrax and this condition is very fatal to both human and animal lives as it is a Zoonotic disease. The disease has continued to cause loss of lives to both humans and animals. It is a gram-positive, non-motile rod-shaped and large spore-forming bacteria that exists in the environment. Clinically anthrax is manifested by the following signs and symptoms in man; divided into three major forms that are cutaneous, inhalation and gastrointestinal basically depicting the different entry of the etiological agent B. anthracis and which have diversified clinical signs. For instance cutaneous anthrax occurs when the infecting stage of the micro-organism, that is, the spores enter the body through the skin, inhalation anthrax occurs when the infection occurs through the respiratory tract whereas gastrointestinal anthrax occurs when the infection occurs via the digestive tract. Humans rarely acquire the infection from another human, and therefore the source of infection in obviously acquired syndrome through the consumption of infected livestock and wild animals or contaminated animal products (see the figure below of An EM photomicrograph of Bacillusanthracis bacteria using Gram stain technique from Collin County Texas 2009).

For the laboratory analysis and identification of the bacterial infection, a simple test such as gram staining would be of a great importance as it shows the clear picture especially on Electron Microscopy the etiological agent described above. The epidemiology of the infection is spread in the world evenly though in some of the parts there is only one form of Anthrax, for instance in the United States of America and therefore our area of study which is the State of Texas naturally had experienced extremely low incidences of Anthrax. Despite all these Anthrax forms being very fatal post-infection due to the blood poisoning via the production of endotoxins, early treatment of Anthrax is usually important for achievement of recovery especially that of initial stages of Cutaneous Anthrax which is curative. Pulmonary Anthrax is very fatal as the case fatality rate ranges from 90% to 100%, followed by the inhalation Anthrax which has a case fatality rate of 25% to 75% for the infected patients (Leo J. Kenefic et al., 2008). The groups at risk comprise the occupational workers, and these include the following; people who handle animal products and their respective by-products which include animal hair processing, animal handlers, Veterinarians and laboratory technicians especially in the diagnostic laboratories for instance the in veterinary diagnostic pathology at post-mortem.

The biological weapons’ potentiality has widespread mechanisms in which they can be utilized, as more powerful agents to crowd casualties causing civil disruptions. To be a focus for extensive attention and to spoil a preferred target, these outfits can make use of probably any biological substance, which satisfies some of the criteria of biological weapons (Hoffmaster AR et al., 2002). Biological agents can be dispersed with enthusiastically available expertise and for example use of the common agricultural spray apparatus can be adopted to disseminate biological pathogens of the appropriate constituent part magnitude to cause contamination and environmental pollution in human inhabitants over great areas of land. As observed by Hoffmaster et al. (2002) the terrorists can timely use expected weather conditions, for instance current of air and temperature changes in addition to existing house infrastructures such as ventilation system or air movement interrelated to haulage to propagate these agents and thus to infect or intoxicate a very good size of a given population. The cost for the production of these biological agents as forms of weapons is relatively far small proportion as compared to the generation of other normal weapon systems. The ways of dissemination of these biological agents and delivery techniques to the target points include Aerosol propagation of the biological agents as the first method, where the biological organisms (agents) are dispersed into the air, forming a smooth mist that may flow for miles in the atmosphere thus faster dissemination. The humans therefore are infected by inhaling this fine smoke containing the bacterial spores that are Bacillus anthracis, causing epidemic diseases in both human beings and animals. In the livestock, the disease-causing microorganisms can be spread by the action of some specific vectors (both vertebrates and insects) such as fleas, mice, flies, mosquitoes and other species of livestock. Secondly the biological terrorism agents can be disseminated by their induction in food and water as obligate contaminants though this is for a short-lived impact, though these pathogenic microorganisms and/or their endotoxins may endure in food and water stores. However most microbes are destroyed and toxins deactivated, when the food is properly cooked and water boiled for more than one minute (Arizona DHS, 2004).The rare inter-personal infection occurs but this does not regard to the Anthrax Bioterrorism, but it is recorded in infections such as smallpox, plague, and the Lassa viruses.

Challenges in using Bacillus anthracis for biological terrorism

There is a high challenge that the use of the micro-organism Bacillus anthracis in bioterrorism in the modern world due to the various properties of transmission and control of the bacterial infection. B. anthracis micro-organisms therefore through these characteristics and its high case fatality rates, have shown a greater potentiality for usage as a biological weapon especially in the United States (Texas) as its incidence rates are low. The Texas isolates which resembled the Anthrax etiological agent posed a great challenge for need to enhance the development and expansion of the epidemiological and diagnostic laboratories capacities and technologies. For instance the Forensic and epidemiologic research of the 2001 bioterrorism-related anthrax attacks utilized the technique of multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) to identify the used strain as Ames, which was fundamental for successive molecular epidemiologic and forensic investigations of this biological crime of Bioterrorism. For the easy identification of the particular strain, the researchers applied relative whole-genome sequencing and also they used phylogenetic analyses to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that appear greatly definite for Ames strain classification. Because Bacillus anthracis emerged recently as a clonal pathogen, these SNPs symbolize highly evolutionarily established markers that are acquiescent to many swift and non-expensive analytical techniques (Leo J. Kenefic et al., 2008).

Multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis and the Ames-specific SNP analysis point out that this Ames strain of micro-organisms had been secluded from environment just once in southern Texas. These studies also indicated that several lineages of Bacillus anthracis have ecologically gained habitation in North America (Leo J. Kenefic et al., 2008). Although the strain A.Br.001 is not as flourishing as A.Br.009, it depicts to have an ecologically well establishment in southern Texas, as analyses of outbreaks in this region for the last three decades has found about 190 culture-confirmed cases clustered in States and thus became a major epizootic in Texas in 2001 along with this tendency. Several species were affected by these outbreaks, and they included many deer species, equines and bovines summing to over 1600, which suggests that this strain is well customized and not only subjected to cultivated areas and tamed livestock. Prior molecular and epidemiologic studies of these isolates from this region identified similarly, but non-identical, resembled the Ames strain, which suggests that more intense surveillance in this region, would likely, yield more Ames and Ames-like isolates (Leo J. Kenefic et al., 2008). The most recent occurrences of these outbreaks were reported in the 2006 and 2007 in Texas confirmed the suggestion that the ailments were due to these serotypes.

Criminal utilization of potential biological agent in state and federal terrorism and their consequences

Even a small-scale biological attack with a weapon of Bacillus anthracis agent on any city of the world, could lead to a massive morbidity and mortality for both the human and the livestock patients, quickly overwhelming the local veterinarians and medical capabilities to contain the disease infections. For instance, an aerosolized release of as small as 100kg of Bacillus anthracis spores into the air of a metro city of a similar size to Washington DC has been projected to have the probable cause of up to three million human life case fatalities (deaths). Therefore, the whole community and the federal government of Texas should be considerate of the consequences of these biological weapons for instance Bacillus anthracis because of the panic it causes to people and possible chances of life destruction. This is because many of these biological agent weapons often occur in nature and are consequently available for exploitation amongst both the martial and civilians (Danzig, Berekowsky, 1997). There is a lot of ease in the delivery of these biological weapons and this also makes the dissemination of these agents effortless. For instance in 1995, duo members in one of the militia groups in Minnesota were convicted of ownership of ricin, a self-produced biological agent. The best example to show how easy biological agents of terrorism can be achieved is for instance demonstrated by the 1996 incident in which a man obtained Bubonic plague cultures via postal service in Ohio (Arizona DHS, 2004).

Documented results from the entire world demonstrate that in the current world use of the biological weapons would gain a lot of warfare mileage. For instance some of the examples in the recent past where these weapons have been utilized include; first in the year 1932-1945, Japan used plague bacilli that is Yersinia Pestis in China causing 260,000 deaths and this signifies that there is a lot of havoc if the terrorist use these biological weapons (Arizona DHS, 2004). The second incidence is when there was the dispersal of anthrax spores during an accident in a Bacillus anthracis production unit within the former USSR (now Russia), causing more than 68 deaths in the year1979. Another incidence of biological weapon occurrence was recorded in the year 1984, Osho supporters administered the use of Salmonella typhimurium in the salad in an Oregon restaurant, in the United States of America leading to 751 fatalities cases. Another biological agent scientifically named Shigella dysenteriae Type 2 was employed in Texas, in the year1996 and the last example is when the Bacillus anthracis pathogens were disseminated through postal envelopes in the State of Ohio USA in Oct-Nov 2001 leading to 22 clinical cases and 5 deaths, thus the fatality rate was about 23% (Danzig R., Berekowsky P. B.1997).

Readiness, response, and recovery plans to biological terrorist attack especially in Federal and State Services response, First Responder and First receiver response

In readiness for tackling Anthrax Bioterrorism, the general population should be given education and awareness of the threats and risks related to this vice. They should know that only properly cooked food and boiled/chlorinated/filtered water should be taken and insect and rodents management must be commenced immediately. Any suspected patient should be subjected to clinical isolation and report confirmed, as an early precise diagnosis is important in the management of casualties of biological warfare. Consequently, a system of specialized laboratories should be put up for a confirmatory laboratory diagnosis and the existing disease surveillance structure plus vector control measures should be pursued more scrupulously (Danzig R., Berekowsky P. B.1997). Mass vaccination plan in the suspected area is essential and enhancing the knowledge and skills of clinicians occupies a vital task in controlling the adverse impact of infection of Anthrax. As biological terrorism may remain a rare episode, inventive constant strategies will be essential to maintain attention and control any potential new cases.

Conclusion

The entire world should be well prepared in addressing the issues of biological terrorism and therefore set a good system of Biosecurity to protect citizens from these kinds of devastating havoc and loss of lives in case of occurrences. This can be done through the proper establishment of epidemiological and various diagnostic services (by countries) and good education of the community on issues of bioterrorism.

References

1. Arizona Department of health services (DHS), Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (2004), Anthrax Bioterrorism: an article on Welfare of health care workers.
2. Collin County Texas (2009), Bioterrorism and Biological Agents, 972.548.4100 McKinney.
3. Danzig R., Berekowsky P. B. (1997), why should we be concerned about Biological Warfare, Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 285, 431-32
4. Hoffmaster AR, Fitzgerald CC, Ribot E, Mayer LW and Popovic T. (2002), Molecular sub typing of Bacillus anthracis and the 2001 Bioterrorism-associated Anthrax Outbreaks, in the United States: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 8:1111-6.
5. Michelle Meadows (2004), Project BioShield: protecting Americans from terrorism: FDA Consumer, an article of Health Publications.
6. Leo J. Kenefic, Talima Pearson, Richard T. Okinaka Wai-Kwan Chung, Tamara Max, Matthew N. Van Ert, Chung K. Marston, Karthy Gutieerrez, Amy K. Swinford, Alex R. Hoffmaster and Paul Keim (2008), Texas isolates closely related to Bacillus anthracis Ames: Emerging Infectious diseases–an article on Health Care Industry.