Ebola Bioerrorism Agent

It can transfer from person to person through coughing and sneezing since it lives in the throat and nasal cavity. The droplets of the disease can live up to 2 hours in the air. The victim can touch a contaminated surface then touch their eyes, mouth, nose, or breathe in the air and become infected. The infected person can be contagious four days prior or four days after the measles rash appears. (Measles)

Toxin severity is due to intrinsic, within the body, and extrinsic, outside of the body, factors. When determining the effect of a toxin on an organism, it is important to compare the behavior of the organism exposed to a toxin to that of the same type of organism when not exposed to a toxin. California Black worms are a North American

Indirect- through eating shellfish (eg: mussels) that have accumulated bio toxins in their edible tissue through filtering harmful algae.

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax can be transmitted via airborne methods such as bioterrorism, where it is used as a weapon and released into the air to cause infection, or by breathing in anthrax spores from infected animal products such as wool. Humans can also become infected by direct contact, from handling infected animal products, or by vehicular transmission from eating undercooked meat from infected animals causing gastrointestinal anthrax. Anthrax is not passed from one person to another. (Arthur Schoenstadt, 2017).

It can still be transmissioned over direct contact with an infected individual or animal or through eating an infected animal.

Currently, this disease affects approximately 371 million people of the world 's population with incidence and prevalence rates rising rapidly (Alotabi, A., Al-Ganmi, A., Gholizadeh, L., and Perry, L, 2016). According to Center for Disease

Before the 20th century, the use of biological agents took three major forms, Deliberate contamination of food and water with poisonous or contagious material using of microbes, biological toxins, animals, or plants (living or dead) in a weapon system, using of biologically inoculated fabrics and persons. Now a day sophisticated bacteriological and virological techniques allowed the production of significant stockpiles of weaponized bio-agents such as; Anthrax, Brucella, Tularemia, Smallpox, Viral hemorrhagic fevers, Botulinum, Ricin, (Legvold, 2012).The most likely route of dissemination is an aerosolized release of 1-5mm particles. Other methods of dissemination include oral, intentional contamination of food/water supply, percutaneous,

This virus is easily transmitted between individuals, particularly when they are housed close to each other. It is most often transmitted through respiratory secretions (2). It can also be transmitted through aerosols, such as sputum, and oral and cloacal secretions. The virus may persist in water and may be spread through feces. It can also be

The second type of contact transmission is by indirect contact which is when there is not direct interaction between the infected person and the other healthy one. The susceptible person gets sick by the contact with contaminated items or surfaces, or by vectors such as flies, mites, rodents, mosquitoes or dogs, (Toxoplasma, Malaria, West Nile Virus-WNV, and Lyme disease are spread in this way). In this variety of indirect contact transmission the infection is spread when an diseased person coughs or sneezes and the droplets are deposited on inanimate objects which function as a provisional reservoir for the contagious agent such as telephones, tables, chairs, doorknobs, handrails, cups, dishes, computer keyboards, pen, pencils and toys.

Botulism is poisoning by a toxin. It is caused by bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This germ is commonly found in soil and can grow in improperly canned goods and preserves. Botulism is a rare, but serious illness that can make you unable to move your body (paralysis) and can affect your ability to breathe.

“Bioterrorism is not only a reality of the times in which we live but bioweapons have been used for centuries” (Christian, 2013). Biological warfare is a high impact, asymmetrical threat in which the weapon can fit in a small test tube. “Critical care physicians play a major role in the recognition of and response to a bioterrorism attack” (Christian, 2013). Silent weapons such as infectious diseases like smallpox and poisons like ricin are viewed by terrorist as an ideal weapon to create

Ebola could only be transmitted through humans aswell as animals , it can be transmitted through handiling dead or ill humans aswell as chimpanzens , Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with infected body fluids or tissue.

Smallpox can be spread through saliva from coughs, sneezes, or speaks. This disease can also be spread through contact with body fluids. Infected person can spread smallpox to others until he is completely symptom-free. [20]

     Person to person transmission can occur through poor hygiene habits or by handling human waste. Daycares and nursing homes are at a high risk for person to person transmission because of the high risk of handling infected feces. Family outbreaks are common, as are outbreaks among children at nurseries (Donnelly & Stentiford, 1997).

Another biological weapon is Botulinum Toxins. Botulism is caused by intoxication with any of the seven distinct neurotoxins produced by the bacillus, Clostridium botulinum. In pure form, the toxin is a white crystalline substance which is readily dissolvable in water but decays rapidly in the open air. The incubation period for inhalation botulinum ranges from one day to several days after exposure. Reported cases of botulism prior to 1950 had a mortality rate of sixty percent. With tracheotomy and ventilator assistance, fatalities should be five percent.