The Threat of Biological and Chemical Weapons - Essay Example

Bioterrorism is a deliberate attempt to discharge biological agents to spread illness and eventually death of the inhabitants of a particular geographical area. These biological agents may be bacteria, viruses, or their toxins, either in their natural form or in their modified forms, or with enhanced virulence developed by humans to bring disaster. These agents can spread into the environment through air, water, or food. It is enormously complicated to differentiate and detect the presence of these agents as they do not display any immediate complaints and also may not show symptoms for days.

Thus, they serve as weapons that are cost-effective, trouble-free to disseminate, and are capable of creating an extensive fear (Web- Bioterrorism Overview).One of the most discussed actions were noticed in September-October 2001 in the USA where numerous cases of anthrax bust out. These cases were due to the deliberate attempt and extended through letters carrying the potential anthrax agent, letters were delivered to the offices of news media along with the office of U. S Congress. Receivers of the letters were victimized with anthrax.

Later on, when tests were performed the strains were labeled as from a domesticate source. This incidence has paved the way for bio-terrorism and has wagered the meaning of biodefence and biosecurity, as it is highly focused exploitation of biological techniques (Web- Bioterrorism Overview). Bioterrorism agents can be categorized on the basis of the intensity of ailments or fatal consequences they create. Three categories are enumerated on the basis of the risk they dispose of. Category A encompasses agents with the highest risk while Category C encompasses agents with up-and-coming terrorization for the disease.

Agents belonging to Category A include Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis); Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin); The Plague (Yersinia pestis); Smallpox (Variola major); Tularemia (Francisella tularensis); Hemorrhagic fever (Web- Bioterrorism Overview).Anthrax bacilli are capable of transmission through direct contact, cause a high death rate, and throw a great impact on public health creating terror and communal commotion. It is therefore biosurveillance is essential for this bacillus (Web- Bioterrorism Overview).

Shielding in opposition to attacks requires a tough community strength and medical infrastructure. Dynamic and susceptible disease and epidemiological surveillance systems encompassing bio-surveillance are of utmost significance to this infrastructure. They are dexterous in detecting attacks before time and rapidly recognize and discriminate among the natural incidence of disease and intended discharges. Bio-surveillance encompasses ongoing organized assortment, investigation, and understanding of explicit information required to sketch and execute community health methods.

Threats should be taken as a serious hazard and constant fear of the Anthrax outbreak is potentially capable of violating national security (Web- Bioterrorism Overview). The global appearance of new diseases and the recurrence of previous diseases escorts the establishment of some kind of Intelligence Bureau to postulate the emergence of disease and mock-up an intensifying international danger as it is complicating the worldwide security measures. Constant upgrading in bio-surveillance is essential to identify the bioterrorist attacks and at the same time, it is essential to administer usual disease epidemics (Web- Bioterrorism Overview).

For constant advancement, it is imperative for government authorities to provide strong guidance and synchronize every bit of bio-surveillance attempts that are in progress across the globe. In order to pursue the task, it is essential to get trained and skilled hands to identify the associated symptoms and any kind of bizarre linked with the disease foretelling a budding health predicament or indicating a biological assault. Joint venture actions and preparation are essential to emphasize the crucial bond and secure collaboration between communal health and health care providers to detect bioterrorism (Hamburg, 2002).

To add to the surveillance, distance education should be implemented by means of academic links that can aid in the preparation and the creation of earlier affiliations. CDC is required to improve epidemiological proficiency and promote analytical lab facilities, competence, and cooperation. Expansion of paradigm treatment set-up, greatly integrated and trustworthy connections and data administration structure, and widespread computer connections will ease quick collection, investigation, and examination substituting laboratories, public health branches, the medical contributors, and research amenities.

It is essential to establish regional divisions for rapid data collection and investigation and counterfeit of basic interaction acquaintances (U.S. Senate, 2002).