...people by measles, plague, small pox, influenza, and typhoid (Magner, 2009). Although there has been some response to such epidemics in the recent past, naturally occurring infections still remain the Achilles’ heel of today’s health systems. 2. Terrorism Versus Bioterrorism Despite the dark past in healthcare systems, current issues of the use of biological agents as means of mass destruction is alarming. Most of the countries across the globe are now faced with the daunting task of terrorism control, since this is one area where biological agents find a lot of use. According to Forst, terrorism may be defined as a “premeditated and unlawful use of violence [on] non-combatant populations having symbolic significance….” (Forst, 2009). Forst mentions that the premeditated and unlawful use of violence usually has an aim of inducing or influencing changes in existing political landscapes; this is normally done through intimidation as well as destabilization of the populations in question. Such populations are identified as enemies by perpetrators of this form of violence. Bioterrorism, then, refers to a form of terrorism where biological agents...
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...Biological Weapons: Threat of the 21st Century Michele Tallman Ashford University Principle & Theory of Security Issues CRJ433 Alicia Dembowski January 12, 2014 Biological Weapons: Threat of the 21st Century Biological Warfare is morally and inhumanely wrong, it is the wrongful killing of men, women, and children and it should be stopped no matter what the circumstances are. For the past 50 years or so the world has lived under the shadow of atomic weapons, threatening a “nuclear nightmare” that would bomb us back to the Stone Age. Now in the 21st Century, there is a new nightmare, called Biological Weapons. These types of weapons deliver toxins and microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria, so as to deliberately infect disease among people, animals, as well as the destruction of crops leading to food shortages. The way that a biological weapon is used depends on several factors, these include the agent, its preparation; its durability in the environment, and route of infection. Some agents can be disbursed as an aerosol, which can be inhaled or can infect a susceptible spot on the skin, like a cut or wound. With the recent revolution in molecular biology, this may have incidentally unleashed a new threat to a peaceful night’s sleep. Even though there has been talk concerning the disarming of certain countries from nuclear weapons, terrorist factions and "nations of concern" have sought ways to continue their wars, by using biological weapons. Asymmetric...
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...Bioterrorism After events such as 9/11, terrorism still instills fear into America's population. Why? Simply because it is the one danger the American people cannot control. Biological terrorism is not always feared or worried about, but it is a genuine possibility and a lethal surprise that causes devastation. If not prepared, these deadly pathogens could easily kill a large number of people. With tensions on the rise, what will the government or citizens do to defend themselves? If something happens, how will Americans have the capabilities to care for themselves and families? Bioterrorism is a serious threat that Americans must eradicate to gain biosecurity and to ensure the safety America’s citizens. Biological terrorism, or bioterrorism,...
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...the spore-forming bacterium. Anthrax spores can be produced in a powdery form for biological warfare. When inhaled by humans, these particles cause respiratory failure and death within a week. Because anthrax is considered to be a potential agent for use in biological warfare, the Department of Defense (DOD), in 1998, announced it would begin a systematic vaccination of all U.S. military personnel. (DOD, 1998) Anthrax infection occurs in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and gastrointestinal. What are the basic functions of the federal, state, and local level during this bioterrorism event? Preparing for and or recovering from a bioterrorism event, it is the federal government's responsibilities to helping to ensure the preparedness of emergency response providers for terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies, Working with other federal and nonfederal agencies to build a comprehensive national incident management system, and developing comprehensive programs for developing interoperative communications technology and ensuring that emergency response providers acquire such technology. ( CIDRAP) In a bioterrorism event, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has special responsibilities, including detecting the disease, investigating the outbreak, and providing stockpiled drugs and emergency supplies in the large amounts needed. What public health resources are available to address this bioterrorism threat at the federal, state, and/or local...
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...manipulated to have the ability to cause serious diseases: Anthrax, Small Pox, Cholera, and Malaria are some of the examples of biological agents. All of these biological agents cause social disruption and require special action to prepare for defense. Terrorists may use some of these diseases to distract their predators, because they are extremely difficult to detect and take several days to recognize; therefore...
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...Biological warfare is the use of microorganisms or biological toxins as weapons of war. In a world where humans have made killing others a easy as the click of a button or even a phone call, biological warfare is a very real and a terror inducing threat. The threat is one posed by not only governments ( especially the superpowers of the word ), but also by terrorists and everyday killers. Smallpox and anthrax are just two examples of the disease that are most likely to be used in biological warfare. Smallpox is an ancient disease that is caused by the variola virus. It has an incubation period of 7-19 days in which it is not contagious After the incubation period, the first symptoms will, arrive in the form of an aching body, vomiting, an a...
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...A topic that is becoming more and more of a widespread concern as it captions the attention of many legislations and governments. Bioterrorism is a terrorist act that is characterized by the release or use of biological agents with the intent of causing illnesses or death to people, plants and animals. Such agents can be commonly found in nature; however, when used as bioterrorism agents, they are genetically altered making them resistant to current medicines and more likely to spread into environments such as air, water and even...
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...Bioterrorism Countermeasures: Utilizing Intelligence Agencies over Biological Research ABSTRACT: The 21st century has seen a revolutionary biotechnology force, one that has led to developments in healthcare and other industries around the United States. Coupled with the growing development of biotechnology, however, is a force hoping to harness its power to create biological weapons. Presently, there are several nations pursuing biological weapons programs, making it easier for terrorist groups to gain access and attain advanced weaponry. Recently, terrorists have demonstrated their ability to execute acts of bio-terror without any moral repugnance or regret. Though these weapons have been taboo in past centuries, known for their sneakiness and deception, the use of biological weapons and the incidence of biological attack in the present century has –relatively speaking– dramatically increased. It is for this reason that congress and the federal government must intervene to prevent future bio-attack. The best method to stall further biological development within terrorist groups is by infiltration and detection via the Intelligence Community (IC). Unfortunately, we have diverted all our resources towards bio-terrorism research, without realizing that it is the further development and accessibility of biological weapons information that has promoted the spread of deadly knowledge within the terrorist community. Instead of trying to develop research plans for specific pathogenic...
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...How would your city or state handle an outbreak of a deadly disease? Do you feel like your state is well prepared for an outbreak? Terrorism is something that we have been dealing with for a long time and we still face to this day. While their are different types of terrorism some are worse than others but one of the worst forms is bioterrorism. Bioterrorism where they release toxic biological agents into the world that could kill you. Bioterrorism has been around for hundreds of years and has caused millions deaths around the world. While their are many deadly diseases that can be used for bioterrorism some of the most convenient types is anthrax. Anthrax is a very deadly bacteria that can be used to kill many people within a short period...
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...Chemical, Etiological/Biological, Mechanical. Thermal Hazards Elevated Temperature Materials: In a liquid phase at or above 212'F, Intentionally heated heated at or above its liquid phase flash point of 100'F, In a solid phase at or above 464'F. Low Temperatures: Liquefied gases and cryogenic liquids (convert to liquids at or below -130'F) can freeze materials on contact. Radiological Hazards Types of Ionizing Radiation: Alpha (can be stopped by paper or skin), Beta (After traveling 20 feet, can be stopped by a layer of clothing or 0.08 inches of aluminum), Gamma (Can be stopped by 2 inches of lead, 2 feet of concrete, or several feet of earth), Neutron (More penetrating than gamma). Types of Contamination: External, Internal, and Environmental. Asphyxiation Hazards Asphyxiants: Prevent the body from absorbing oxygen. Simple Asphyxiants: Displace oxygen. Chemical Asphyxiants: Prohibit the body from processing available oxygen. Chemical Hazards Poisons/Toxins: Cause injury at the site where they contact the body, Neurotoxins produce systemic effects in the nervous system. Corrosives: Acids (pH less than 7), Bases (pH more than 8), can react violently when mixed with water. Irritants: Cause temporary but sometimes sever inflammation. Convulsants: Cause involuntary muscle contraction. Carcinogens: PVC, Benzene, Asbestos, Arsenic, Nickel. Sensitizers/Allergens: Cause allergic reactions. Etiological/Biological Hazards Viruses:...
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...gather information, watch your inferences, check your assumptions, clarify your concepts, understand your point of view, and think through the implications. These eight elements of thought come from Dr. Linda Elder and Dr. Richard Paul. We will use Dr. Elder’s and Dr. Paul’s eight elements of thought to analyze and discuss about The Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. This is also known as the overview of the WMD Report. The main purpose of this report is to determine and expose the lack of critical thinking that was used by each of the intelligence agencies that assumed that Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, had reconstituted his nuclear weapons program, had biological weapons, had mobile biological weapon production facilities, and had stockpiled and was producing chemical weapons. The coverage of the most public and most damaging intelligence failure in recent American history will be used by the authors to offer their conclusions on what needs to be done to avoid such disastrous misinterpretations and misconceptions. There are several key questions addressed by the authors in this report. First, what led...
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...INTRODUCTION National security is the protection or the safety of a country’s secrets and its citizens. The term national security encompasses within it economic security, monetary security, energy security, environmental security, military security, political security and security of energy and natural resources. Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines. As times progress threats to national security are constantly increasing with threats such as climate change, transnational crime, espionage, cyber terrorism and bio-terrorism. This paper is going to look at Ebola as a threat to national security. Weaponization Ebola's exponential spread has rekindled fears that terrorists may seek to turn the virus into a powerful weapon of mass destruction. Ebola virus is classified as a biosafety level 4 agent, as well as a Category A bioterrorism agent by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It has the potential to be weaponized for use in biological warfare, National security and infectious disease experts agree the obstacles to a large-scale assault with Ebola are formidable. For starters, a bioterrorist would have to obtain the virus and be able to grow a massive supply in large vats, an extremely costly endeavour. Already there is historical...
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...commercial interest with which he/she has a financial relationship.) There is no commercial support being used for this course. Participants are advised that the accredited status of RN.com does not imply endorsement by the provider or ANCC of any products/therapeutics mentioned in this course. The information in the course is for educational purposes only. There is no “off label” usage of drugs or products discussed in this course. Acknowledgements RN.com acknowledges the valuable contributions of… Material protected by Copyright …The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (www.cdc.gov), the key government agency responsible for disseminating knowledge about various biological agents. …U.S. Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRRID). USAMRRID spearheads efforts to protect service members from biological threats. Its efforts are well known and utilized by the civilian population. USAMRRID is located at Fort Detrick, Maryland. …Nadine Salmon, RN, BSN, IBCLC is the Clinical content Specialist for RN.com. Nadine earned her BSN from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She worked as a...
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...spills fails to report to the housekeeping about the health hazard that can be caused by the chemical (human error). The housekeeping who is assigned to clean the spill has A maintenance supervisor calls in a temporary worker from third-party recruiting company to handle housekeeping tasks for a day. The temporary worker is assigned the task of mopping the floors. The supervisor assigns him the list of rooms to be cleaned that also includes a research laboratory, where the staff work on chemical and biological agents (situational factor). The supervisor provides required instructions and provides a PPE, which is an overalls and a pair of gloves that is to be used while cleaning the laboratory. The worker follows the instruction and cleans the laboratory but doesn’t dispose off his overalls and gloves properly instead he keeps it back in the room where housekeeping things are stored (human error). Now, anyone that is going to wear it again is at a risk of exposure to biological and chemical agents that could pose a health risks (environmental...
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...------------------------------------------------- Species in the environment, r and K selection K and r selection: * r - the intrinsic rate of increase * K - the carrying capacity for the organism in that environment * r and K selection was an early attempt to identify life-history distinctions * r-selected species do well at low population density, and are at an advantage in frequently disturbed habitats * K-selected species do well at high population density and are at an advantage in constant or predictable habitats * Heuristically very useful as it allows use to predict the types of species likely to occur under different disturbance regimes R selection: * r-selected species have a rapid rate of population increase. * This is typical of species that colonise short-lived environments or of populations that undergo large fluctuations * Eg. Weeds, aphids, bacteria K selection: * K - selected species have superior competitive ability in stable environments where rapid population growth is unimportant as the population is maintained near K Ways to categorize/class species: * By biome or community type * By life history strategy * By life reproductive strategy * By basic approach to the environment What governs the distribution of species? * Evolutionary factors populations separated on to geographically distinct regions have different evolutionary trajectories * Dispersal constraints species may not have...
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