Biological warfare Anthrax

1 biological warfare

1.1 sverdlovsk incident (2 april 1979)
1.2 anthrax bioterrorism
1.3 decontaminating mail

biological warfare

colin powell giving presentation united nations security council, holding model vial of anthrax

anthrax spores have been used biological warfare weapon. first modern incidence occurred when nordic rebels, supplied german general staff, used anthrax unknown results against imperial russian army in finland in 1916. anthrax first tested biological warfare agent unit 731 of japanese kwantung army in manchuria during 1930s; of testing involved intentional infection of prisoners of war, thousands of whom died. anthrax, designated @ time agent n, investigated allies in 1940s.

a long history of practical bioweapons research exists in area. example, in 1942, british bioweapons trials severely contaminated gruinard island in scotland anthrax spores of vollum-14578 strain, making no-go area until decontaminated in 1990. gruinard trials involved testing effectiveness of submunition of n-bomb  – biological weapon containing dried anthrax spores. additionally, 5 million cattle cakes (animal feed pellets impregnated anthrax spores) prepared , stored @ porton down operation vegetarian  – antilivestock attacks against germany made royal air force. plan anthrax-based biological weapons dropped on germany in 1944. however, edible cattle cakes , bomb not used; cattle cakes incinerated in late 1945.

weaponized anthrax part of stockpile prior 1972, when united states signed biological weapons convention. president nixon ordered dismantling of biowarfare programs in 1969 , destruction of existing stockpiles of bioweapons. in 1978–79, rhodesian government used anthrax against cattle , humans during campaign against rebels. soviet union created , stored 100 200 tons of anthrax spores @ kantubek on vozrozhdeniya island. abandoned in 1992 , destroyed in 2002.

american military , british army personnel routinely vaccinated against anthrax prior active service in places biological attacks considered threat.

sverdlovsk incident (2 april 1979)

despite signing 1972 agreement end bioweapon production, government of soviet union had active bioweapons program included production of hundreds of tons of weapons-grade anthrax after period. on 2 april 1979, of on 1 million people living in sverdlovsk (now called ekaterinburg, russia), 850 miles (1,370 km) east of moscow, exposed accidental release of anthrax biological weapons complex located near there. @ least 94 people infected, of whom @ least 68 died. 1 victim died 4 days after release, 10 on eight-day period @ peak of deaths, , last 6 weeks later. extensive cleanup, vaccinations, , medical interventions managed save 30 of victims. extensive cover-ups , destruction of records kgb continued 1979 until russian president boris yeltsin admitted anthrax accident in 1992. jeanne guillemin reported in 1999 combined russian , united states team investigated accident in 1992.

nearly of night-shift workers of ceramics plant directly across street biological facility (compound 19) became infected, , died. since men, nato governments suspected soviet union had developed sex-specific weapon. government blamed outbreak on consumption of anthrax-tainted meat, , ordered confiscation of uninspected meat entered city. ordered stray dogs shot , people not have contact sick animals. also, voluntary evacuation , anthrax vaccination program established people 18–55.

to support cover-up story, soviet medical , legal journals published articles outbreak in livestock caused gi anthrax in people having consumed infected meat, , cutaneous anthrax in people having come contact animals. medical , public health records confiscated kgb. in addition medical problems outbreak caused, prompted western countries more suspicious of covert soviet bioweapons program , increase surveillance of suspected sites. in 1986, government allowed investigate incident, , concluded exposure aerosol anthrax military weapons facility. in 1992, president yeltsin admitted absolutely rumors soviet union violating 1972 bioweapons treaty true. soviet union, , uk, had agreed submit information un bioweapons programs, omitted known facilities , never acknowledged weapons program.

anthrax bioterrorism

in theory, anthrax spores can cultivated minimal special equipment , first-year collegiate microbiological education. make large amounts of aerosol form of anthrax suitable biological warfare requires extensive practical knowledge, training, , highly advanced equipment.

concentrated anthrax spores used bioterrorism in 2001 anthrax attacks in united states, delivered mailing postal letters containing spores. letters sent several news media offices , 2 democratic senators: tom daschle of south dakota , patrick leahy of vermont. result, 22 infected , 5 died. few grams of material used in these attacks , in august 2008, department of justice announced believed dr. bruce ivins, senior biodefense researcher employed united states government, responsible. these events spawned many anthrax hoaxes.

due these events, postal service installed biohazard detection systems @ major distribution centers actively scan anthrax being transported through mail.

decontaminating mail

in response postal anthrax attacks , hoaxes, united states postal service sterilized mail using gamma irradiation , treatment proprietary enzyme formula supplied sipco industries.

a scientific experiment performed high school student, later published in journal of medical toxicology, suggested domestic electric iron @ hottest setting (at least 400 °f (204 °c)) used @ least 5 minutes should destroy anthrax spores in common postal envelope.