Biowarfare

Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals and can also infect humans. Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but usually occur within 7 days after exposure. The serious forms of human anthrax are inhalation anthrax, cutaneous (skin) anthrax, and intestinal anthrax. Initial symptoms of inhalation anthrax infection may resemble a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation anthrax is often fatal. The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated food and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea. Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely, if it occurs at all. Though anthrax is not highly contagious, early treatment is key, as delay lessens chances for survival. Anthrax can be treated with anti-biotics or an anthrax vaccination (though the latter is not available to the public.) another famous biological agent is the bubonic plague, which started in china and wiped out most of Europe in the 1300's. The Plague is an infectious disease of animals and humans caused by the bacterium Yesinia pestis. Y. pestis, is found in rodents and their fleas in many areas around the world. Pneumonic plague occurs when Y. pestis infects the lungs. The first signs of illness in pneumonic plague are fever, headache, weakness, and cough productive of bloody or watery sputum. The pneumonia progresses over 2 to 4 days and may cause septic shock and, without early treatment, death. Person to person transmission of the plague can occur if there is direct face to face contact with an infected patient. Like anthrax early treatment is essential, and antibiotics are effective. However, unlike anthrax there is no vaccine for the plague.