Evaluating Detection of an Inhalational Anthrax Outbreak - Essay Example

Anthrax Anthrax Poor relations and hatred among individuals and nations in the world today has driven peopleto great lengths with the aim of inducing harm on others. Using the advanced technology people have generated biologically, lethal weapons, which can hurt a great number of people and go unnoticed which poses more danger to the nation. Anthrax, a bacterial disease, is one of the commonly used agents due to its ease of access manipulation to meet the different needs of the perpetrator (Korn, 2012). Anthrax is not a common disease and it is rarely reported with statistics indicating that the number of affected decreased from 130 estimated cases in 1990s to less than two cases in the 21sts century (Cdc.gov, 2014). Treatment and preventive measures are available to those affected by the bacteria with earlier detection techniques available at the medical centers. Bioterrorism and Anthrax The need to threaten or weaken a particular nation has led to the use of biological weapons, attack hard to prevent to its nature. Bioterrorism refers to the use biological weapons to induce harm over a person or group of people. The similarity between a bioterrorism and biologic warfare is the agent used whereas the major difference being the intention of using a particular biological agent (Ivanova et al., 2003). The agents considered in carrying out a bioterrorist attack are classified according to their pathogenicity. Anthrax, a disease caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis, is mostly used, and several hoaxes of this bacterium have been reported in the United States (Saffer, 2004). When selecting an effective bioterrorism agent, perpetrators consider several factors that will make it easier for the desired goal to be achieved effectively. The agent selected should possess the ability to cause morbidity, mortality, or illness with difficult diagnosis and treatment. Accessibility, stability, and reproducibility are other factors that are carefully analyzed for consideration of an agent. The agent should be easy to find which was simpler before the federal regulations illegalized the sale of specific pathogenic organisms by biological supply companies. Reproducibility aids in ensuring that enough quantity to carry out an attack on a certain number of people is attainable (Saffer, 2004). Stability maintenance at different environmental conditions that it may be subjected to during the attack is vital especially in moving from one place to another and during dispersal. Dispersion aids in ensuring that the targeted group of people is exposed to the agent. Several dispersal techniques of the agent care available but aerosol is known to be the most effective where a great number of people are targeted. Other methods such as food and water dispersal are suitable when targeting specific person or group of people. Clinical manifestations Anthrax manifests itself in a number of syndromes including cutaneous, alimentary tract anthrax, and inhalation (uptodate.com, 2014). Humans are infected with the disease after coming into contact with infected animals, their hides, or the animal waste. The bacteria that cause anthrax called the Bacillus anthracis is usually non-motile, and has a rapid growth at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. In human beings, the most common form is the cutaneous anthrax that is acquired through skin injury or mucous membrane. Once the spores are exposed to the injured part, they germinate and the multiplication of the vegetative cells takes place developing into a papule (Korch, Lebeda & Lindler, 2005). Within seven days after infection, lymph nodes swell giving the first symptoms and in severe cases, invasion of the bloodstream takes place that may lead to a fatal case. According to (Buckeridge, Owens, Switzer, Frank and Musen (2006), inhalation anthrax arise from inhaling the aerosols made of the stabilized spores and attacks the lungs after settling in the alveoli. The first symptoms are high fever and severe chest pains. Earlier before 1954, it was thought that the main cause of death of animals with anthrax was blockage of capillaries, but it was later discovered that some toxic substances released by the bacteria caused the death. Pathogenesis The most common type of anthrax in human is the cutaneous anthrax, which is also the mildest. It occurs when the pores enter the human body through injured and exposed parts of the body. The major sign of this anthrax is an itchy bump that looks like a bite by an insect that later turns to a painless sore and swelling of lymph glands at the nearest point of infection. Inhalation anthrax also known as the pulmonary type is the most dangerous even when treatment is administered to the patient (Saffer, 2004). The symptoms include signs associated with flu, for example, sore throat, and mild fever. After some time it develops to high fever, difficulties in breathing, shock and meningitis can be noticed. Another form of anthrax is the injection anthrax, which involves bacteria getting to the body by injecting illegal drugs to a person. Such a scenario has only been reported in Europe. Its symptoms include shock, swelling and redness around the injected area, meningitis, and failure of multiple organs. Doctors in United States face difficulties in identifying from first symptoms the presence of anthrax but with the help of Centre of Disease Control, information is supplied to help with the situation (Cdc.gov, 2014). Chest x-ray is done conditions where inhalation anthrax is suspected which show possible cases of pleural effusion common in patients with inhalation anthrax. Other methods of detection include testing of Bacillus anthracis in blood, spinal fluids, or the secretions from respirations of the patient (Buckeridge, Owens, Switzer, Frank & Musen, 2006). Presence of the bacteria can also be checked through testing of toxins and antibodies in the blood of the patient. Skin testing is carried out which involves sample fluid from the lesion of the skin to determine the presence of the bacteria if cutaneous anthrax is suspected. The involved physician may also need to carry out test on the stool of the patient in cases where gastrointestinal anthrax is thought to be the cause of illness. Anthrax prognosis Prognosis of anthrax depends on a number of factors that medical practitioner put into consideration before forecasting on the illness. Doctors assess possible factors that might affect the condition of the patient basing their prognosis on research done earlier by other professionals. Factors considered during the prognosis include anthrax type, how early the condition is diagnosed, bacteria strain, age of the patient and the patients general health (Uptodate.com, 2014). Remarkably, doctors prediction may not come true concerning the outcome. Vaccination Safety among those who are exposed is a possibility through vaccine and use of antibiotics. Antibiotics such as the Ciprofloxacin can be given to patients who do not show any symptoms yet but have been exposed to the bacteria (Plotkin & Grabenstein, 2008). This helps as the spores can take from 1-6 days in the body without being activated giving time for the antibiotics to fight the bacteria. A vaccine to prevent anthrax exists but is not made available to the public. The vaccines protect against inhalation and cutaneous anthrax (Emedicine.medscape.com, 2014). Food and Drug Administration have paved way for the use of anthrax vaccine on people aged 18 to 65 years who are thought to have a risk of exposure to the bacteria such as veterinarians and laboratory workers. However, in some conditions administering of the vaccine is not recommended. Such conditions include those who are undergoing recovery from the anthrax infection and those that have previously displayed extreme allergic reactions. Treatment Either the use of antibiotic or antitoxins can do treatment of anthrax. If the condition of a particular patient is severe, hospitalization is advised where continuous checking of the patient is done and sometimes in cases of inhalation anthrax, mechanical ventilators are used to help the patient with breathing difficulties. After the pores are activated in the body and release dangerous toxins, use of antitoxins is preferred in curing the disease (Fraser, 2006). It is also advisable that after an individual suspects initial symptoms, the individual should seek immediate medical attention to increase chances of recovery. Additionally, public education and more research on preventive and curing measures on the different levels of effect of anthrax and other dangerous biologic weapons forms important strategies to its prevention (Bradley et al., 2014). References Anderson, R. (2006). Outbreak: Cases in real-world microbiology (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: ASM Press. Bradley, J., Peacock, G., Krug, S., Bower, W., Cohn, A., & Meaney-Delman, D. et al. (2014). Pediatric Anthrax Clinical Management. Pediatrics, --2014. Buckeridge, D., Owens, D., Switzer, P., Frank, J., & Musen, M. (2006). Evaluating detection of an inhalational anthrax outbreak. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 12(12), 1942. Cdc.gov,. (2014). Symptoms | Anthrax | CDC. Cdc.gov. Retrieved 14 July 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/basics/symptoms.html Emedicine.medscape.com,. (2014). Medscape: Medscape Access. Emedicine.medscape.com. Retrieved 14 July 2014, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/212127-clinical Fraser, G. (2006). The anthrax treatment kit by Haliburton (1st ed.). Montre´al: Productiongray editions. Ivanova, N., Sorokin, A., Anderson, I., Galleron, N., Candelon, B., & Kapatral, V. et al. (2003). Genome sequence of Bacillus cereus and comparative analysis with Bacillus anthracis. Nature, 423(6935), 87-91. Korch, G., Lebeda, F., & Lindler, L. (2005). Biological weapons defense (1st ed.). Totowa, N.J.: Humana Press. Korn, H. (2012). American Anthrax: Fear, Crime, and the Investigation of the Nations Deadliest Bioterror Attack by Jeanne Guillemin Times Books, Henry Holt and Company New York, New York, USA. The FASEB Journal, 26(4), 1367-1371. Plotkin, S., & Grabenstein, J. (2008). Countering anthrax: vaccines and immunoglobulins. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 46(1), 129-136. Saffer, B. (2004). Anthrax (1st ed.). San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books. Uptodate.com,. (2014). Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of anthrax. Uptodate.com. Retrieved 14 July 2014, from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/clinical-manifestations-and-diagnosis-of-anthrax Read More