When categorizing environmental agents in regard to human health, physical, chemical, and biological agents each pose different and great threats. All can have potentially extremely dangerous short term and long term effects. In my opinion, biological agents pose the greatest threat to human health. It is crucial to point out that circumstantially, any of the three could pose the greatest threat, but in general, I believe biological agents do so. I find biological agents to be the most unavoidable with the most severe consequences, in general, of the three categories. Biological agents, coming in a variety of forms, have unique abilities amongst themselves and all categories of environmental health agents. Bacteria holds the ability to …show more content…
They, like chemical and biological agents, have come a long way in terms of prevention and treatment. Physical agents, however, are more similar to chemical agents in that it is easier to limit, or at least decrease, exposure of an entire country than it would be to stop a disease epidemic, for example. Biological agent prevention has significantly improved, especially with vaccines, but even vaccines can be dangerous if given to the wrong person. Although it would be difficult to prevent all exposure to any agent, being cautious about x-rays and ensuring proper ventilation in a new building are feasible, while limiting exposure to biological agents is made difficult by the variety of hosts walking around with the capability of secondary infection. Displaying an example of a biological agent is the H7N9 (bird flu) epidemic in China beginning in 2013. Xinhuanet English News presents the epidemic clearly. While many vaccines exist for viruses, none will be administered in the foreseeable future for H7N9. They had already reached 96 human infections with 19 deaths in 2014 as of January 27. Fortunately, this epidemic currently has a slow transmission speed and no supporting evidence to suggest consistent human-to-human transmission, but it is addressed that single human-to-human cases are not ruled out. This case is relevant and supports the argument of biological agents posing the greatest threat to human health out of the
The three categories of biological agents are category A, B, and C. the biological agents under the categories “pose the greatest threats to national security” (). That is due to their ease of transmission, even for the high rate of death they can cause. An example of category A is anthrax, while in category, B is ricin, and category C has influenza. Biological agents enter the body when they are inhaled, eaten, or absorbed, and they can also quickly multiply and passed from one person to another. With anthrax, the way it can be prevented is by vaccines and by taking antibiotics. There are two types of antibiotics that offer protection against anthrax. Now ways to prevent ricin is by moving away from the area that ricin was released,
Through found research, there is a vast amount of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms that occur naturally and man-made. These biological agents have the potential to negatively affect the human body, varying from mild reaction, to even death. While each individual organism is wide-spread throughout our globe, they can be traced back to water, soil, plants, and animals. Biological agents should be treated as potential threats due to the rapid reproduction and minimal required resources to sustain life.
The recorded history of warfare is filled with the use of biological weapons and agents to further the cause of belligerents. Today we face a threat that it is feared will make use of biological weaponry to become, what is termed, as bioterrorists. Bioterrorism is an intentional release of bacteria, viruses and other biological agents with the objective to cause diseases and/or death within a target population, animals and/or crops or other vegetation. Most of the agents used as bio weapons are widely spread in the nature, but some of their deadly features are intentionally strengthened or modified to increase their capability to inflict diseases, to increase their resistance to drugs and disinfectants, or/and enhance their stability and ways
Usage of biological weapon reached its height during the 19th century world wars, as agents were used in all criminal, terrorist, or state-sponsored events (Anderson 20). Sprouted from the world wars, biological research programs for both offensive and defensive strategies have been developed by the United States, Britain, the former Soviet Union, Canada, and several other nations (Fong vii). However, attention has not been focused on the potential threats of biological warfare and bioterrorism until the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001 and the anthrax crisis in Florida and New York City (Fong vii). Throughout history, biological warfare has played a significant role, as biological weapons, deliberately or inadvertently, in restricted and assisted armies over the centuries.
Moreover, when one thinks of terrorist attacks, the first things he/she may think of are crashing planes, nuclear missiles, and bombs. He/she may not, however, think of using microorganisms, such as anthrax, to start a biological warfare. “In the United States the incidence of naturally acquired anthrax is extremely rare i.e, 1 to 2 cases of cutaneous disease per year. In the year 2001 intentional contamination lead to 22 cases of anthrax (11 cutaneous, 11 inhalational) in the United States. Therefore, the spores of Bacillus anthracis are found to be a chosen weapon of bioterrorism (Saraswathi, Padmavathy, Mamatha, et al, p 2044). B. anthracis was placed in postal letters, where they would be released
Biosecurity is set to keep a close eye on biological agents that can be used as weapons of war as well as protect humans from said agents (Mandal 2014). Over time, biosecurity has increased in the eye of the public as good procedures taken to ensure the safety of the human race. Biosecurity has implemented wise techniques into the agricultural world playing a very important role in the sustenance of life for human beings. According to WHO Biosecurity measures, it defines the difference in systems of health: animal, human, and plant. Animal health is threatened when a pathogenic agent produces “adverse consequences on the importation”; this can be interpreted as realizing that there
This time I would like to discuss an organism which has a potential to be used as a biological agent during warfare or in case of a terrorist attack. Plague has been used as a weapon when Tartar forces catapulted plague-infected dead bodies into the city of Caffa during the Middle Ages (Riedel, 2004). A nonmotile, gram-negative coccobacillus called Yersinia pestis spread by a vector called Xenopsylla cheopis also known as the Oriental rat flea and carried to humans by a host such as a rat. Furthermore, plague classified as a Category A Agents which is on the highest priority list (CDC. 2018).
In today’s modern society, natural disasters, war, and diseases all cause havoc on the human species. War and other civil conflicts are one of the biggest problems in some parts of the country. With war, any sort of weapon is able to be used, even though the United Nations have put up international laws forbidding certain types of weapons. One of these laws, outlaws the use of biological warfare. There has been many famous examples of biological warfare in America’s history. Bioterrorism is related to biological warfare, but they also have many differences. Bioterrorism is used mainly to induce fear and cause the disruption of modern societies and governments by using bacteria, viruses, or other germs to attack people or livestock. This form
Bioterrorism refers to biological agents (microbes or toxins) used as weapons to further personal or political agendas. Acts of bioterrorism range from a single exposure directed at an individual by another individual to government-sponsored biological warfare resulting in mass casualties. (CDC) The way that bioterrorism happens is that there is a deliberate release of germs or other biological substances that can cause individuals to become sick. This attack happens internally rather than externally. According to Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “ In the U.S., the risk of contracting anthrax is extremely low. The intentional release of anthrax following the events of 9/11 resulted in only twenty-two recognized cases of cutaneous
Since a biological weapon of mass destruction is more probable, we must focus on making it extremely difficult for terrorists to get hold of such agents. Of course, we must make sure that we are not limiting the knowledge of the good guys as well. There has to be some fine median between the two needs.
In order to have a more concrete idea of the bioterrorism and the reason as to why there are bound to be the legal
Many scientific researchers have said that our environment has been filled with toxic chemicals, which us humans have had a part of. There are many different issues that should concern us surrounding these toxic chemicals. The major concern is that many of these toxic chemicals have been claimed to be causing damage to the health of humans and even other life forms. Another concern is that most of the theses toxic chemicals have just recently been produced; and by our environment changing everyday there is no telling what effects these toxic chemicals may have in the long run on the public 's health. Just about all of these toxic chemicals exist in the way they do because of humans. As humans we practice a lot of different activities that cause toxic chemicals to pollute our environment such as, agriculture, industrial, and many domestic activities as well. Many of the toxic chemicals that we produce and use don 't get used in a effective way, which causes them to be wasted, left abandoned, and disposed of. When toxic chemicals are not disposed of properly they effect the environment and the public 's health in a negative way.
Biological agents are living organisms or products of living organisms, and can be found everywhere. Although, they may be useful in life, they could also be source of threat to human health (European Agency for Safety and Health at work, 2016). They include bacteria, fungi and viruses and their metabolites, as well as parasitic worms and plants. Biological agents can enter the body by absorption through eyes, skin, wounds (needle stick injuries, bites from animals etc) or mucous membranes and by inhalation. In a situation of favourable living conditions, fungi, viruses and bacteria reproduces very fast within a short period of time. And some of these biological agents can be passed from one individual to the other. Biological agents are
Environmental health is “the collective interactions of humans with the environment and the short-term and long-term health consequences of those interactions” (Core Concepts 572). Environmental pollutants contribute to infectious and chronic diseases and the growing population and technological advances are increasing the damage on the environment. The large population is a key factor in chemical pollution, global warming, and thinning of the ozone layer. Food, land, water, and energy are in high demand and not all sustainable. With our medical care system as good as it is, people are living longer and besides making sure there is family planning
Pathogens are pervasive in nature and can be found everywhere. The possibility of synthesizing pathogens particularly viruses, using technologies are inexpensive and globally available. The skills and equipment for making a biological weapon are largely the same as those required for progress in medicine, agriculture, and other fields and are required for future economic prosperity for the nation, so they cannot be locked away. Public health, medical, military, and law enforcement experts have met in a number of settings in efforts to identify the most threatening of the biological weapons, specifically those weapons that merit priority concern in the development of public health and medical preparedness