...Biological Warfare: Effects on USA Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine the response of the American public to the growing threat of biological warfare which has been amplified by the war on terrorism. The study focuses on various news items, government researches, public responses and independent researches to gauge the effects of the perceived biological threat. The research shows clear linkages between rising terrorism in the world and an increase in public knowledge of the sort of threats these terrorist organizations pose, especially the risk of a biological attack which could lead to a catastrophe. The research also sheds light on the rising voices in the media and public which demand concrete strategies to prepare for any and all eventualities. We also see how these demands shape public policy and scientific research. Lastly, we conclude that there is a definitive causal link between people’s perception of the biological terror threat and their public and private behavior. Introduction The primary research question we have is that in what ways has the use or threat of biological weapons of mass destruction affected the lives of US citizens in recent history? America has been on the receiving end of terror attacks and the year 2001 is still fresh in everyone’s minds. The terror attacks on the world trade center were soon followed by the anthrax attacks which were perpetrated by a lone, disturbed scientist. The fact that a single man, without any proper...
Words: 1837 - Pages: 8
...Elizabeth Fenn’s “Biological Warfare in Eighteenth Century North America: Beyond Jeffrey Amherst” is a paper that looks into the history of germ or biological warfare in the eighteenth century in North America, mainly during the colonization and Revolutionary War periods. They used Smallpox, a disease that has been cured in today’s world, but back then caused hundreds of deaths. When the colonists and British gave blankets and clothes to the Indians they came from Smallpox treatment centers and spread the disease to the Native Americans killing most of the natives. Fenn structured this paper by breaking it down into smaller chapter like sections that explain the history of biological warfare, how it was executed, the result of their actions,...
Words: 306 - Pages: 2
...HOW TO RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU ARE IN A CONTAMINATED AREA AND HOW TO PROTECT AND DECONTAMINATE YOURSELF Chemical warfare is a place where you do not want to be in ever in your life. It is a situation that I pray no one will ever have to be in during their lifetime. When I was in the Army, the last few months of my time was to teach soldiers that were on their way to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan about Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare. When you are in a situation where you have to protect yourself from NBC, you have less than two minutes to protect yourself. There will be no time to think about anything else but to make sure that you protect yourself properly. What I want to do is to teach the reader on how to recognize if they are and a contaminated area. Once they recognize they are and a contaminated area, I want the reader to know how to properly protect and decontaminate themselves after the ordeal is over. The two types of chemical weapons that will be discussed will be sulfur mustard, also known as mustard gas and nerve agents. They are the two most popular types of chemical agents that are used during chemical warfare. I urge the reader to be sure that they do everything right the first time when it comes to recognizing when they are in a contaminated area and they protect themselves from contamination. The way people in the military protect themselves from chemical agents will be different from the way civilians when the protect themselves. I will inform...
Words: 1165 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 2848 - Pages: 12
...Anthrax Sindy Flores HCA 415 Community & Public Health Instructor: Tykeysha Boone November 9, 2012 Anthrax also known as Bacillus anthraces is an acute infectious disease caused by 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,...
Words: 516 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 947 - Pages: 4
...Why Biological Weapons Shouldn’t Be Used The question has arisen whether or not biological weapons should be used in warfare or should be gotten rid of completely. To answer this question, an in-depth analysis should be conducted as to the cost and benefits of said weapons. On one hand, the benefits of these weapons are numerous with the cost of the weapons being low and the potential loss of life high. On the other hand, using these weapons in times of war could prove to cause problems for the side that unleashed them with potential outbreak of disease not only affecting the target, but eventually spreading across the world like a plague. Both sides of the argument present valid points as to why they feel the way they feel about the weapons, but I feel that the side that has the best viewpoint is that these weapons should be discontinued and destroyed. I will first start with the benefits to using biological weapons in warfare. One of the biggest benefits in using these weapons is the cost in which these weapons can be produced. In comparison to many of the other weapons being produced, no other weapon comes close. According to Raymond Murray Dawson and Chun-Qiang Liu, a 1969 expert United Nations panel “estimated the cost of operations against civilian populations at $US1 per square kilometer for biological weapons, versus $600/km2 for chemical weapons, $800/km2 for nuclear weapons, and $2000/km2 for conventional armaments” (89). As you can see by the statement,...
Words: 1182 - Pages: 5
...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS ANTHRAX VACCINE AS A COMPONENT OF THE STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCKPILE: A DILEMMA FOR HOMELAND SECURITY by Thomas L. Rempfer December 2009 Thesis Advisor: Second Reader: Stanley Supinski Dean Lynch Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 2. REPORT DATE December 2009 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Anthrax Vaccine as a Component of the Strategic National Stockpile: A Dilemma for Homeland Security 6. AUTHOR(S) Thomas L. Rempfer 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000...
Words: 3672 - Pages: 15
...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,...
Words: 1344 - Pages: 6
...debates over the use of biological weapons today. In the 18th century, the British would take out their enemies no matter the cost or destruction. Elizabeth A. Fenn explains the British rules of smallpox, “In conflicts with "heathen" Indians, European rules of war gave license to unfettered violence, complete annihilation, and, yes, biological warfare.” British weren’t afraid of killing innocent children and mothers as long as it meant they defeated their enemies. There was little fight against using smallpox as a weapon. On the other hand, the abolishment of biological warfare is an effective process today. Biological Weapon Convention explains the fight against biological warfare, “Determined to act with a view to achieving effective progress towards general and complete disarmament, including the prohibition and elimination of all types of weapons of mass destruction, and convinced that the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons and their elimination.” This debate is completely different from the 18th century. Instead of fighting for the use of biological warfare, there is fight against it. Fenn also explains how the threat of biological warfare is not as much of a threat as it was in the 18th century. She explains, “Biological warfare was therefore a reality in eighteenth-century North America, not a distant, abstract threat as it is today.” This just proves the debate on biological warfare is entirely altered...
Words: 1544 - Pages: 7
...in 1916.(Wikipedia) The Japanese Kwantung army had recorded testing of Anthrax as a weapon in the 1930’s.This new form of bio-terrorism was tested on Prisoners of war during the time. some of this testing involved intentional infection of prisoners of war, thousands of whom died. From then to about 1972, (When the U.S Signed the “Biological Weapons Convention”) the United States had stockpiled “Weaponized Anthrax” (FBI.gov) These “Weaponized stocks of anthrax in the US” were destroyed after President Nixon ordered the U.S Bio-warfare program to be stopped. The stock was eliminated in 1972. Later on, the Soviet Union created 200 tons of anthrax spores and stockpiled them at Vozrozhdeniya Island in Kantubek. “The stockpile was abandoned in 1992 and destroyed in 2002.” (Wikipedia). After the terrible day of September 11, Anthrax - laced letters started appearing in the U.S Postal Service. “Five Americans were killed and 17 were sickened in what became the worst biological attacks in U.S. history.” Because of this incident, the FBI created a specialized task force called “The Amerithrax Task Force” which spends countless hours in counter biological warfare. In recent years, Multiple types of Anthrax Vaccines have been researched and developed for those who might be exposed to the deadly infection. The Anthrax Vaccine is made with a strain of “Inactive” Anthrax bacteria (which isn’t whole, living or dead) which can not cause the infection. The main portion of the vaccine is a protein...
Words: 919 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 4378 - Pages: 18
...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...
Words: 1353 - Pages: 6
...Small Pox and the Indians Throughout our history books we read time and time again about different groups of people who had to endure death and devastation from different occurrences, such as war, genocide or disease. I would like to talk about one of those occurrences, which is only briefly mentioned to us, which is the effect that smallpox had on the Indian communities that occupied the land that would eventually become the United States. To begin, I will briefly explain smallpox, which is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus. Its major symptoms are: fever, vomiting, head and back aches, rash and lesions on the skin (known as pox) and a horrible smell, which could last up to a month. The fatality rate of this disease ranges between thirty and fifty percent, sometimes more among the Indian demographic. The virus is spread through human contact and occasionally through inanimate objects such as cloth. The good thing about smallpox is that once infected its survivors are then immune to the disease for life, so the virus constantly need a new human host to survive. The Indians would not come into contact with the small pox virus until the arrival of the European colonists. Since the Indians had not experienced small pox and had no immunity to the disease, so once exposed to it they were very susceptible to it and it often created an epidemic within their communities, which would nearly wipe out whole tribes at times. At this time, the Indians did not...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...I believe is just, so long as all other individuals did not have their privacy violated, such as random posting of personal photos or something of that nature. References: The age of viruses [Video file]. (2005). Retrieved December 13, 2017, from https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=103647&xtid=35921 CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response. (2017). Retrieved from https://emergency.cdc.gov/bioterrorism/index.asp Lyons, D. (2001). Utilitarianism. In L. C. Becker, & C. B. Becker (Eds.), Encyclopedia of ethics (2nd ed.). London, UK: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.credoreference.com.vlib.excelsior.edu/content/entry/routethics/utilitarianism/0 Jansen, H. J., Breeveld, F. J., Stijnis, C., & Grobusch, M. P. (2014). Biological warfare, bioterrorism, and biocrime. Clinical Microbiology & Infection, 20(6), 488-496. doi:10.1111/1469-0691.12699 ...
Words: 437 - Pages: 2
