Anthrax

The second reason genetic engineering is unethical and should be stopped is due to the fact that it involves reconstructing nature, which is not the job of society. Genetic engineering could potentially breed new animal and plant diseases, new sources of cancer, novel epidemics and other serious problems in which nature cannot conquer (Epstein 4). Many scientists argue that genetic engineering has a positive outcome, and occurrences such as diseases or other casualties in nature’s balance should be ignored (Bereano 18). Co-discoverer of the DNA code and Nobel Laureate, Dr. James D. Watson, has continuously disregarded the risks of genetic engineering (Bereano 19). In 1979, he wrote the following about possible diseases that might be inadvertently created through genetic engineering: “I would not spend a penny trying to see if they exist'; (Bereano 19). The above statement clearly shows that society cannot depend on the “high priests'; of science to make ethical decisions (Bereano 18). Too much is at stake.

During its 2002 symposium on the future of public health, the Harvard School of Public Health recalled several incidents that show anthrax to be a genuine bioterrorism threat: 1979 incidents of inhalation of anthrax in Sverdlovsk (Hamburg, et al., 2002, p. 131); the deliberate release of anthrax only weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Hamburg, et al., 2002, p. 124); additional incidents of anthrax being deliberately released in 2001 (Hamburg, et al., 2002, p. 127). In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a 2006 report mentioning a 2004 anthrax incident in the Dirksen Senate Office Building (CNA Corporation, 2006, p. 1). In addition, there are numerous reports of white powder being received by business and governmental officials. Consequently, there is a realistic possibility of an anthrax (or Ricin) bioterrorist attack in the future and the average individual should know how to respond if he/she receives mysterious white powder in an envelope.

These biological agents could be viruses, toxins, bacteria, etc. Agents could be used in war or terrorist attacks. Also, they could be modified to cause extreme diseases and disorders, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It makes bioterrorism even more tempting to use as it is easy and inexpensive to produce, disseminate and can cause a more widespread panic than other acts of terrorism (1).

The world we live in is advancing more and more every day. We are beginning to exceed boundaries and reach new limits. Science and Technology has come a long way since Copernicus said that the sun was the center of the universe. Science fiction is slowly coming to life. We are building robots that are extremely similar to humans, modifying genes, and creating clones. Authors wrote about these abstract ideas not too long ago, but at the time they seemed far-fetched. Scientific and technological advancement may be for good or for evil. The good side is the advancements in medicine that could limit the risk of a particular disease or even cure one. The potentially bad side is the steps we may take to get there without knowing the long-term effect. In Michael Bess’s article “Blurring the Boundary Between Person and Product,” he discusses the advancement of genetic

It is incredible to see how far genetic engineering has come. Humans, plants, and any living organism can now be manipulated. Scientists have found ways to change humans before they are even born. They can remove, add, or alter genes in the human genome. Making things possible that humans (even thirty years ago) would have never imagined. Richard Hayes claims in SuperSize Your Child? that genetic engineering needs to have limitations. That genetic engineering should be used for medical purposes, but not for “genetic modification that could open the door to high-tech eugenic engineering” (188). There is no doubt that genetic engineering can amount to great things, but without limits it could lead the human race into a future that no one

Also, the anthrax spores can take between 1 - 60 days to begin to germinate in the body.

Shortly after the horrifying terrorist attack of 9/11 on the United States, the country was hit with a bioterrorist attack called Anthrax. This agent is extremely dangerous and was a serious threat to the government and country. Anthrax spores are typically found in nature and can last for a long time in the environment when produced in a lab. These spores are known as the silent killer because they can be released without anyone knowing, and can be placed in multiple places such as in food and water. The spores are extremely small and hard to detect.

What is the frequency of Botulinum Toxin? The incidence of the disease is low, but the mortality rate is high if not treated immediately and properly. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2015) The United States has averaged one hundred forty five reported cases of Botulism a year. Fifteen percent of those being foodborne, sixty-five percent being infant Botulism, and twenty percent being wound Botulism. (CDC, 2015) The frequency of the disease is low, but the mortality rate is high if not treated immediately and properly. Some cases of botulism may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because the symptoms are transient or mild, and mimic Guillain-Barre syndrome.

What is Bioterrorism? What are the types of Bioterrorism? What issues or concerns should we be aware of when talking about Bioterrorism? How is Bioterrorism different from the United States and that of Guam? These are some of the things people would think of and wonder when they hear the word Bioterrorism. It’s important to know the different steps or precautions that a person can look into in order to prevent themselves from being a victim of Bioterrorism. First things first, Bioterrorism is defined as the intentional release of toxic biological agents to harm and terrorize civilians, in the name of a political or other cause. The history of Bioterrorism goes way back. According to the Terrorism Issues and Homeland Security, there have always been efforts to use germs and disease as weapons. The reported risk has led the U.S. government to expend immense resources for bio-defense in the early part of the 21st century. According to Right Diagnosis from health grades, there was a list of the different types of Bioterrorism and they are: Anthrax, Salmonella, Glanders, Melioidosis, and Smallpox.

Anthrax is indeed a pathogen to be feared. As you stated, easy and inexpensive to cultivate it makes for an ideal biological weapon of choice. One good thing about anthrax, is that as long as the pathogen has been around, it has allowed medical science time to create a licensed vaccine (DHS 2004, n.p.). However contaminated soil can remain a biological threat for many years. The cost of mass vaccinations, antibiotic treatment for those afflicted, as well as decontamination of the attack site (including down wind areas) and soil would be staggering. The entire area possibly rendered "off limits" for months. A terrible scenario if you launch near Wall Street as your "top of a building in a major city" statement (Foster 2015).

Anthrax is dangerous and deadly poison. It can be found in soil and wild animals. The attack of Anthrax took place on October 2001. Contact with anthrax can cause serious illness in humans and animals. Anthrax is not contagious, even though you get infected with anthrax when spores get into the body. Antibiotics can cure the disease. On October 2001, there was heavy pressure from the President to solve the Anthrax Files. In addition, they had two suspects for the Anthrax crime and FBI’s were sure that the second suspect was guilty.

Biotechnology prompts a fear that humanity is gaining too much control over the choice of human evolution and destiny (McLean 1). CRISPR, “…the new fast, flexible, cheap way to manipulate the genetic code of life…” (Achenbach 1) exploits from the natural process used by ordinary bacteria to fend off against intrusive viruses while Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins), a set of enzymes, precisely snips DNA. CRISPR makes it simple to alter specific genes, resulting in many scientists beginning to use this new form of biotech for many of their experiments. Consequently, the editing of the

For all the global oversight against bioweapons, this threat remains especially pernicious. A unique aspect of bioterror is that it can be difficult to tell the difference between naturally occurring disease and accidents, and an intentional attack. For this reason, a biological attack would require a huge level of coordination among federal, state and local public health and security officials. In addition, bioweapons do not have to be naturally occurring – toxins and deadly organisms can be produced in a lab. Growing large amounts of an agent is possible, although equipment, space, safety, and technical knowledge all play a role. The threat is that creating a bioweapon often requires techniques that are already published in scientific literature. Additionally, the equipment required is somewhat easily obtained, since it is required for legitimate research. This creates a perplexing “dual-use” problem, wherein it is hard to create restrictions against bioweapons without inhibiting industry.

The fact that anthrax causes non-communicable disease (Abramson, 2012, p17) is a benefit if employing it as a military weapon as controllability is desired, but terror organizations are unlikely to see this as either a positive or negative outcome since their desires are accomplished by sowing fear and causing economic damage. Another factor that makes anthrax attractive to terrorists is the relatively small quantity needed to cause a mass casualty incident. Only ¼ ounce of anthrax spores are required to cause mass casualties over an area of 1 square mile (Kostadinov & Galabova, 2010, p298). The simple fact that anthrax has such a long history of easy cultivation going back to 1915 speaks for the lack of technical equipment required to process this material (Kostadinov & Galabova, 2010,

This idea is very possible, if not true. Organisms are constantly being re-engineered to serve another purpose, such as a banana being turned into a vaccine. Another example from the film is how Dr. Neville was constantly re-engineering his blood sample to cure the affected. This can be used to clone entire organisms, while modifying specific characteristics. When re-engineering an organism, there are high chances that cell mutation can occur, which can create viruses (The Next Galaxy, 2015). In the film, the measles virus was modified to become a cure for cancer. But, it is highly plausible that cell mutation may have occurred in the process, thus leading to the side-effects of the cure. Before introducing a vaccine, scientists like us must test them before the public tries it. However, cancer is slowly starting to affect everyone and is worrying people. Societal pressures may force scientists to hurry with the process, thus leading them to skip a few steps. But, those few steps may be the line between safety and an epidemic. An epidemic is caused by the mistakes that a scientist causes. But, what if those mistakes were used to create bigger mistakes? Constantly, we have been hearing that people have died to the hands of terrorism. Just 2 weeks ago, there were 6 attacks across the world in a matter of 5 days. So, instead of bombs and bullets, what if terrorists used the mistakes that a