Anthrax

The 1979 Anthrax Leak in Sverdlovsk "... On April 2, 1979, there was an unusual anthrax outbreak which affected 94 people and killed at least 64 of them in the Soviet city of Sverdlovsk (now called Ekaterinburg), roughly 850 miles east of Moscow. The first victim died after four days; the last one died six weeks later. The Soviet government claimed the deaths were caused by intestinal anthrax from tainted meat, a story some influential American scientists found believable. However, officials in the Carter administration suspected the outbreak was caused by an accidental release of anthrax spores from a suspected Soviet biological weapons facility located in the city.... " CLICK HERE for rest of story

Anthrax Immunization Program by the Department of Defense

• Anthrax is produced by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. A tough protective coat allows the bacteria to survive for decades as spores.
• Anthrax is dangerous because, it is:
  • Highly lethal
  • One of the easiest biological agents to manufacture
  • Relatively easy to develop as a weapon
  • Easily spread in the air over a large area
  • Easily stored and dangerous for a long period
• Three types of Anthrax infection:
  • Cutaneous Anthrax - primarily involving the skin,caused by contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
  • Gastrointestinal Anthrax - caused by eating of contaminated meat.
  • Inhalation Anthrax - caused by inhaling anthrax spores **MOST DEADLY - BIGGEST THREAT**

Click Here for More Information on Anthrax from the Department of Defense

OSHA Fact Sheet and References on Worker Health and Safety for Anthrax Exposure

University of Wisconsin Lecture on Anthrax

From the Centers for Disease control: Anthrax

The following documents have been developed to provide information pertaining to Anthrax that will help private and public healthcare providers develop plans to prepare for and respond to acts of bio-terrorism. The documents are broken into the following categories:

1. Agent Information - this information is intended for the healthcare provider (private and public) and includes details about the disease, recommended treatment, and specific issues relating to recognizing Anthrax in emergency departments.

Update: Florida Anthrax Case, October 7, 2001

Update: Florida Anthrax Case, October 4, 2001

FactSheet

General Agent Information

Medical Information

USAMRIID Site

Johns Hopkins Universiy - Center for Civilian biotdefense Studies

Surveillance Case Definitions

Related Sites 

2. Clinical Level-A Lab Protocol  - this information is designed to provide laboratories with techniques to identify microorganisms, in order to support clinicians in their diagnosis of potential diseases.

Hantavirus

All About Hantavirus  "....Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) has been recognized as a disease only recently in North America. So far, it's also fairly uncommon and the chances of becoming infected are low. However, HPS is potentially deadly and immediate intensive care is essential once symptoms appear.

"Hantaviruses that cause HPS are carried by rodents, especially the deer mouse. You can become infected by exposure to their droppings, and the first signs of sickness (especially fever and muscle aches) appear 1 to 5 weeks later, followed by shortness of breath and coughing.  Once this phase begins, the disease progresses rapidly, necessitating hospitalization and often ventilation within 24 hours...."  Click Here for more of the story.

Hanta Virus in South and Central America

Serendipity, Science and a New Hantavirus

Download the 54-page illustrated National Park Service guide, Mechanical Rodent- Proofing Techniques. for detailed rodent- proofing instructions rodent-proofing help.

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever

"....No case of the disease in humans has ever been reported in the United States. Ebola-Reston virus caused severe illness and death in monkeys imported to research facilities in the United States and Italy from the Philippines; during these outbreaks, several research workers became infected with the virus, but did not become ill...."

Disease Information: Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever   "....Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF) is a severe, often-fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys and chimpanzees) that has appeared sporadically since its initial recognition in 1976.

"The disease is caused by infection with Ebola virus, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) in Africa, where it was first recognized. The virus is one of two members of a family of RNA viruses called the Filoviridae. Three of the four subtypes of Ebola virus identified so far have caused disease in humans: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, and Ebola-Ivory Coast. The fourth, Ebola-Reston, has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans...."       

Teaching and Prevention Methods         

Japanese color woodcut print advertising the effectiveness of cowpox vaccine (circa 1850 A.D.)  "....It was known that among persons and families who tended cows, the clinical signs of smallpox were never serious. Following this clue, Dr. Kuwata tried vaccinating children with the contents of eruptions from cowpox. As the result, the children's illness was mild and not transmitted to others. Dr. Kuwata, who was the pioneer of vaccination in Japan, vaccinated more than 70,000 people. He died with a vaccination needle in his hand in 1868, when he was 58 years old...."

Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal

National Center for Infectious Disease

Disease Outbreak News

Preventing Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Strategy for the 21st Century Overview of the Updated CDC Plan

West Nile (WN) virus "has emerged in recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America, presenting a threat to public, equine, and animal health. The most serious manifestation of WN virus infection is fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds...."

Mad Cow Disease    

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy "....Since 1996, evidence has been increasing for a causal relationship between ongoing outbreaks in Europe of a disease in cattle called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or “mad cow disease”) and a disease in humans called new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD). Both disorders are invariably fatal brain diseases that are caused by an unconventional transmissible agent. From 1995 through 1998, a total of 38 human deaths in the United Kingdom and one human death in France were attributed to nvCJD. Although there is strong evidence that the agent responsible for these deaths is the same agent responsible for the BSE outbreaks in cattle, the specific foods, if any, that may be associated with the transmission of this agent from cattle to humans are unknown. However, through 1998, bioassays have identified the presence of the BSE agent in the brain, spinal cord, retina, dorsal root ganglia (nervous tissue located near the backbone), and possibly the bone marrow of infected cattle...."

See also:

Death and Dying

God, Prayer and Scripture

Health Information

Holistic and Alternative Healing

Immortality

Making Light of Death (Warning: not for the squeamish or easily offended)

Miracles

Near Death Experiences and the Afterlife

Pharaohs, Pyramids and Mummies

Punishment and Torture

Serial Killers

Tragic Accidents, Murders and Deaths

Unsolved Crimes