Posted on 09/18/2001 3:44:15 AM PDT by Johnny Shear
I was watching C-SPAN apon awakening this morning at 5:00 AM Central. They were showing what looked to be a tape of a Canadian Talking Head Show. They had 4 participants discussing the situation...
One man stated that reports are out that they've located a massive number of dead animals in a certain area of Afghanistan. These dead animals were found through the use of a sattelite. The assumption being that Bin Laden and/or The Talaban are experimenting with Chemical/Biological Weapons.
I don't know about you, but for the first time during all the discussions of warfare, I got chills of fear.
God Bless our Troops.
Anthrax
Frequently Asked Questions
What is anthrax?
Why has anthrax become a current issue?
How common is anthrax and who can get it?
How is anthrax transmitted?
What are the symptoms of anthrax?
Where is anthrax usually found?
Can anthrax be spread from person-to-person?
Is there a way to prevent infection?
What is the anthrax vaccine?
Who should get vaccinated against anthrax?
What is the protocol for anthrax vaccination?
Are there adverse reactions to the anthrax vaccine?
How is anthrax diagnosed?
Is there a treatment for anthrax?
Where can I get more information about a recent Department of Defense decision to require men and women in the Armed Services to be vaccinated against anthrax?
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What is anthrax?
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic lower vertebrates (cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores), but it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals or tissue from infected animals.
Why has anthrax become a current issue?
Because anthrax is considered to be a potential agent for use in biological warfare, the Department of Defense (DoD) has begun mandatory vaccination of all active duty military personnel who might be involved in conflict.
How common is anthrax and who can get it?
Anthrax is most common in agricultural regions where it occurs in animals. These include South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. When anthrax affects humans, it is usually due to an occupational exposure to infected animals or their products. Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products from other countries where anthrax is more common may become infected with B. anthracis (industrial anthrax). Anthrax in wild livestock has occurred in the United States.
How is anthrax transmitted?
Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and gastrointestinal. B. anthracis spores can live in the soil for many years, and humans can become infected with anthrax by handling products from infected animals or by inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated animal products. Anthrax can also be spread by eating undercooked meat from infected animals. It is rare to find infected animals in the United States.
What are the symptoms of anthrax?
Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but symptoms usually occur within 7 days.
Cutaneous: Most (about 95%) anthrax infections occur when the bacterium enters a cut or abrasion on the skin, such as when handling contaminated wool, hides, leather or hair products (especially goat hair) of infected animals. Skin infection begins as a raised itchy bump that resembles an insect bite but within 1-2 days develops into a vesicle and then a painless ulcer, usually 1-3 cm in diameter, with a characteristic black necrotic (dying) area in the center. Lymph glands in the adjacent area may swell. About 20% of untreated cases of cutaneous anthrax will result in death. Deaths are rare with appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
Inhalation: Initial symptoms may resemble a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation anthrax is usually fatal.
Intestinal: The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated meat and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea. Intestinal anthrax results in death in 25% to 60% of cases.
Where is anthrax usually found?
Anthrax can be found globally. It is more common in developing countries or countries without veterinary public health programs. Certain regions of the world (South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East) report more anthrax in animals than others.
Can anthrax be spread from person-to-person?
Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely to occur. Communicability is not a concern in managing or visiting with patients with inhalational anthrax.
Is there a way to prevent infection?
In countries where anthrax is common and vaccination levels of animal herds are low, humans should avoid contact with livestock and animal products and avoid eating meat that has not been properly slaughtered and cooked. Also, an anthrax vaccine has been licensed for use in humans. The vaccine is reported to be 93% effective in protecting against anthrax.
What is the anthrax vaccine?
The anthrax vaccine is manufactured and distributed by BioPort, Corporation, Lansing, Michigan. The vaccine is a cell-free filtrate vaccine, which means it contains no dead or live bacteria in the preparation. The final product contains no more than 2.4 mg of aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant. Anthrax vaccines intended for animals should not be used in humans.
Who should get vaccinated against anthrax?
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommend anthrax vaccination for the following groups:
Persons who work directly with the organism in the laboratory
Persons who work with imported animal hides or furs in areas where standards are insufficient to prevent exposure to anthrax spores.
Persons who handle potentially infected animal products in high-incidence areas. (Incidence is low in the United States, but veterinarians who travel to work in other countries where incidence is higher should consider being vaccinated.)
Military personnel deployed to areas with high risk for exposure to the organism (as when it is used as a biological warfare weapon).
Pregnant women should be vaccinated only if absolutely necessary.
What is the protocol for anthrax vaccination?
The immunization consists of three subcutaneous injections given 2 weeks apart followed by three additional subcutaneous injections given at 6, 12, and 18 months. Annual booster injections of the vaccine are recommended thereafter.
Are there adverse reactions to the anthrax vaccine?
Mild local reactions occur in 30% of recipients and consist of slight tenderness and redness at the injection site. Severe local reactions are infrequent and consist of extensive swelling of the forearm in addition to the local reaction. Systemic reactions occur in fewer than 0.2% of recipients.
How is anthrax diagnosed?
Anthrax is diagnosed by isolating B. anthracis from the blood, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions or by measuring specific antibodies in the blood of persons with suspected cases.
Is there a treatment for anthrax?
Doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics. To be effective, treatment should be initiated early. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.
Where can I get more information about the recent Department of Defense decision to require men and women in
the Armed Services to be vaccinated against anthrax?
The Department of Defense recommends that servicemen and women contact their chain of command on questions about the vaccine and its distribution. The anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program in the U.S. Army Surgeon General's Office can be reached at 1-877-GETVACC (1-877-438-8222). http://www.anthrax.osd.mil
But they have a job to do. And if these nutbags are out there screwing with biological weapons, then this job is more important than ever- these enemies must be eradicated.
What anti-biotics ARE used against anthrax?
I'm not a nuke'm freak but if they do I say turn their country into green glass.
My feeling is that if OBL had these weapons he would have used them by now. He doesn't seem to be averse to killing thousands of innocent people or pissing off the US military.
To quote from the above article...
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis.
As for so many of the Taliban leaders being Pakistani, the same language Pushtu that is spoken in a lot of Afghanistan is also spoken in a lot of Pakistan, in particular, in the Northwestern Frontier Province around Peshawar. The Taliban were largely supported in their rise to power by the Pakistani intelligence agency, the ISI.
Not all Afghans speak Pushtu, a language related to Persian. A lot of the people in northern Afghanistan speak Uzbek, a Turkic language. I suspect ethnic rivalries are the reason why the Northern Alliance has been able to hold on there. Uzbek is of course also the language of neighboring Uzbekistan. I read yesterday that Uzbekistan has agreed to serve as a staging area for our air and ground forces.
The Taliban only control part of Afghanistan by relying on foreign Arab mercenaries paid for my Bin Laden, and Pakistani Mercenaries, the majority of Afghanis are trying to stay neutral in what is a civil war between the Taliban and the United alliance which consists of various units which fought for as well as against the Soviets.
What we need to do is conduct a major propaganda war first and foremost, pointing out to the Afghanistan what they already know, such as young Afghani women being given to the Arab and Pakistani advisors as booty, how they are being robbed blind by said Arabs, how the food shortages is all the fault of the Pakistanis and Arabs.
If America has one fault it is that she really does not know how to get down in the ground and fight dirty, its not just about size and technology its about psychological operations, its about talking to the people not at them.
Take Tet, who won, the Americans did you almost wiped out the VC, did you talk about it did you take advantage of the fact that whole areas were empty of VC, where was the wide spread psy ops in the vacuum that had been created
Forget size forget technology think the people, we should start working on the Afghanistan’s natural suspicion of foreigners and build on the resentment that is already there.
We have to initiate a jihlad in that country we did it to the Soviets well Pakistan and the Taliban should be next, then we deal with Bin Laden.
Fight smart use Gods Greatest Weapon the brain
Tony
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