Sunday, November 29, 2009

Biological Warfare and Disease

The third kind when it comes to weapons of mass destruction is biological weapons. Biological agents are either living microorganisms like bacteria or viruses or toxins produced by microorganisms. In the case of bacteria and viruses they may continue to spread from human to human after an attack with biological weapons have taken place.

Bacteria and Viruses are the most common form of micro organisms that causes disease. Bacteria are living organisms; infections caused by bacteria can often be treated with different forms of antibiotics. Some types of bacteria are by its very nature very resistant against antibiotics, TBC is one example. Lately some strains of antibiotics have started to develop a resistance against different forms of antibiotics. Viruses are different from bacteria: they can only live inside the living cells of living creature. The multiply by infecting a cell and making it produce viruses instead. Antibiotics don’t work on viruses, but there are some new anti viral medicines that reduces the impact of viruses.

Bacteria can also produce biological toxins; one of the most famous examples is the botulinum toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. This toxin is incredible toxic; 1 gram of the most dangerous variant could theoretically kill millions of people. The toxin is destroyed by heat; boiling water for a couple of minutes will destroy any toxin within the water. There is a vaccine against the bacteria and an antiserum against the toxin.

Historical Examples
1300:s Bubonic plague kills millions in Europe

1346 the Mongols catapulted infected bodies over the city walls at Kaffa in order to spread disease.

1763 during the French and Indian war the British forces gave blankets infected with smallpox to hostile Indian tribes.

1870s epidemics of Yellow Fever strikes Memphis, Tennessee. The population of the city is majorly reduced both because of deaths and because people escape from the city.

1918 The Spanish Flu turned into a pandemic that killed around 20-50 million people, that equaled around 3% of the world total population at that time.

1928 Alexander Fleming discovers Penicillin.

1939 with Fleming’s discovery Ernst Chain and Howard Florey managed to produce the first commercial penicillin. This was a major breakthrough in medicine for the treatment of bacteria.

1939-1945 During the Second World War Japanese forces in China experimented with different kinds of disease on Chinese prisoners. The Japanese also spread bubonic plague against Chinese cities. There is a lot of different data on how many that actually died from these attack and figures vary from tens of thousands to hundred of thousand dead. During the Second World War only around 1% died as result of infectious disease, this was a rapid reduction compared to the first World War, around two third of all deaths then was related to infections and disease. This decrease came as a result of better living standards and new medications.

1956-58 The Asian Flu Pandemic caused around 2 million deaths worldwide.

1968 Around one million dies from the Hong Kong flu worldwide.

1969 President Richard Nixon brings an end to the US Biological Weapon Program.

1971 – 1973 The US destroys its stockpiles of biological weapons.

1975 The Convention on the Prohibition the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC) was signed by the Soviet Union and the US.

1973 The first outbreak of the disease Ebola is recorded. Some strains have had a case fatality rate over 80%, sometimes close to 90%.

1979 There was an outbreak of Anthrax in the city Sverdlovsk in the Soviet union. It was later confirmed that this outbreak was caused by an accidental leakage from a military production facility. The number of dead from this event varies from 60 an up.

1980 After an intense global vaccination program the disease Smallpox is officially declared eradicated. This one of the few diseases that mankind has been able to eradicate. The virus is however kept in laboratories in both Russia and the US today and is one of the most effective diseases that could be used as a biological weapon.

1981 The first confirmed case of HIV/AIDS is reported by the US Center for Disease and Control (CDC).

1984 an sect in India contaminated salad bars in India with salmonella, many people became sick but no one died as result.

1986 The first cases of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) also known as Mad Cow Disease is found in Animals. It was not believed that the disease could be contracted by humans at first and the number of infected animals kept increasing for a long time.

1988 The Soviet disposes much of their biological weapons by burying them instead of destroying them. There is some fear that some of this sites eventually may start to leak some of these pathogens.

There is some unconfirmed information concerning that the Soviet Union created a super plague during the 1980:s that would be resistant against all kinds of antibiotics. The Soviet Union had a very ambitious bio weapon program with tens of thousands of employees.

During the 1990s the Japnese sect Aum Shinrikyo that attacked the Tokyo Subway with nerve gas tried to develop biological weapons as well.

1992 Boris Yeltsin officially admits that the Soviet Union has continued its bio weapons program after signing the BWC in 1975 and ends Russia’s bio weapons program.

1995 The first cases of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) was recorded, the persons effected had worked with cattle during the BSE epidemics. Around 200 persons have died so far from CJD, most of them in Great Britain. The case of BSE & CJD is examples of what can happen if government agencies don’t take threats seriously. It’s by belief that cases like this may be a factor on why we often see over reactions from government agencies, like in the current case of the Swine Flu.

1996 The HAART treatment against HIV/AIDS is introduced.

2001 After 9/11 attacks there was at least five letters containing Anthrax spores sent to three media corporations and two US senators. 22 people were confirmed contracting anthrax, five of these persons died from the disease. 45 buildings was contaminated with anthrax spores and antibiotics was given as a prophylactic measure on a massive scale to people how could have been exposed. In spore form anthrax is resistant to sun light and temperature changes. Anthrax spores may have a life time up to a hundred years.

2009 Swine Flu has become a major topic in the media. Right now there is about 620.000 confirmed cases to the World Health Organization and around 8000 that died from the disease worldwide. In comparison to the Spanish Flu 1918 and the Asian flu 1957 the real threat and mortality seems to be very low.

There has also been some accusation against the US for using smallpox against the North Korean capital during the Korean War and other biological weapons against Cuba but there have been no conclusive evidence that this have been the case.

Early Warning
A disease that is used as biological weapons does not have the same instant effect a nuclear or chemical weapon has. It may take days or even weeks before symptoms start to emerge. So there is a big chance that the people how’s exposed to a biological weapons won’t know that they been exposed before they start to get sick, and even then it may be easy to assume that disease has natural causes.

Personal Hygiene and Protection
One of the most important aspects when it comes to avoiding biological warfare and different kind of infectious diseases is personal hygiene. The importance can’t be overstressed. The most important part of personal hygiene is to clean your hands, the majority of all infections is spread when people somehow get a pathogen on their hands and touch their face, mouth or eyes. Soap and water is an excellent way to clean your hands, soap is a natural killer of different pathogens. The skin is an excellent barrier against diseases as long as it’s not damaged, if you use to much soap your hands may become dry and your skin may rupture and pathogens may enter your body. There is other alcohol based hand sanitizer that also is very effective. The combination of soap water, drying your hand and then using alcohol based disinfections is best. Remember to your entire hand and your wrists. Give extra attention to the back of your hand and your thumb, these areas is often missed. If you’re treating people with wounds use surgical gloves if possible, clean your hands before and after. Hygiene in general is very important in a crisis situation: keep your nails short, brush your teeth, use floss and fluoride mouthwash. A safe solution to use as a toilet is also important. A portable camping shower, bleach, soap, washing powder to clean cloths and shampoo may be good equipment to have in storage at your home. Facemasks may provide some protection against airborne disease, but the most important part is to not stand in front of the airflow from anyone sick that’s coughing. NBC gasmasks also offers protection against airborne attacks and disease but it’s very hard to know when an attack is actually happening; it can be days before symptoms start to appear.

Tuberculosis - TB
10 million contracts TB every year, mainly in poorly developed countries and 3-4 million die each year from the disease. The disease is highly resistant against antibiotics; the normal treatment requires three form of antibiotics to be taken every day for six months. However in many parts of the world people don’t go through with the entire treatment and this causes resistant strains of TBC. There are some strains of TBC that are resistant to all forms of antibiotics. There is also a vaccine against TBC available and new ones are being developed. The data for how effective the current vaccine are varies but in some cases it may provide a protection up to 80% and the effect is believed to last for 15 years. The vaccine can cause lethal side effects, but this is very unusual and normally happens to person how another disease or a low immune system function.

HIV/AIDS
The HIV/AIDS virus has gotten an enormous amount of attention in the Media. The HIV/AIDS virus is a Virus that attacks the human immune system and in time this causes the victims to die from secondary infections or cancer. If not treated patients normally die 10 years after they contracted the virus, the HIV/AIDS is basically deadly in all cases if not treated. There is however effective treatment that was introduced 1996 called HAART. These drugs are antiviral drugs that reduce the amount of virus people have in their system to a level that doesn’t present any health issues. There are side effects to this treatment and some people are allergic against the antiviral drugs, but most people how live in the western world don’t have health problems because of the virus. There is how ever an enormous social stigma to carry the disease and the antiviral drugs must be taken at a regular basis every day. Around 30-35 million people worldwide carry the HIV/AIDS virus, around 1,5 million of these cases are in North America. It’s been sad to many times but the best way to protect yourself is to use a condom and make regular checks at your doctor.

Cholera
Cholera is the worst form of diarrheal disease that exists. It’s a very common disease that often follows war and disasters when the sanitation systems break down. The number of people how dies in this disease are normally under 5% but the disease will seriously weaken the person how get exposed and make them vulnerable to other infections. This is one of the major causes why hygiene, clean water and sanitation are very important after a disaster; this will reduce the risk that you contract this and many other diseases. There is a vaccine that offers around 80% protection. But the effect only last a few year, then new doses are required.

Recommended vaccination:
Booster against Tetanus
Tuberculosis - TB
Hepatitis A & B
Cholera if you’re going to a high risk area.
There are also regional diseases that there are vaccines against, always talk with your doctor for advice and a recommendation.

How is most vulnerable?
In general there are some categories of people how are more vulnerable to disease then other:
· Very young children
· Very old people
· Pregnant women
· People suffering from cancer
· Untreated persons with HIV and AIDS
· People suffering from Starvation or Famine

Threat Assessment
Biological organisms are a natural part of our world and we have developed different kind of medications and vaccines to cope with these problems. Bacteria may become a very serious problem in the future if antibiotics resistance continues to increase; the life expectancy may drop sharply around the world as a result if not new effective medicines are produced. Biological weapons may be genetically designed to have this resistance but in the long perspective I believe that natural resistance against antibiotics is a larger threat than genetically modified biological weapons. Should a new disease with high mortality breakout it’s important to understand that the sanitation system today will help to reduce the spread compared to the spread of plague in the 1300s. But modern communications like air travel may spread a disease very fast. It’s my belief that the current pandemic of swine flu will increase most countries ability to handle this form of crisis because valuable lessons have been learnt and people in general have become more aware of the threat and the importance of especially hand hygiene.

7 comments:

  1. *Herpes is a serious and recurring disease which can't be cured through drugs or injections by the American doctors but the best way to deal with Herpes is by taking natural herbs medicine for it and is only few American doctors that know about this herbal medicine from Dr odion.. I have read about Dr odion the great herbalist doctor from African who can cure Herpeewith his powerful herbal medicine. for the people suffering from the following diseases Hiv, Herpes, Cancer, Als,Herpatitis, Diabetes, Hpv,Infections ETC should contact him for his herbal medicine because i am a living testimony and i was cured of Herpes. Although, i sent him what he requested and he sent me his medicine which i took for two weeks and today when i went for test i was tested Herpes negative and he can also cure herpes etc you can reach him through his WhatsApp number:+2349019421176 he will help you out or email drodionherbalhome12@gmial.com*

    ReplyDelete
  2. WHAT A GREAT MIRACLE THAT I HAVE EVER SEE IN MY LIFE. My names are Clara David I’m a citizen of USA, My younger sister was sicking of breast cancer and her name is Sandra David I and my family have taking her to all kind of hospital in USA still yet no good result. I decided to search for cancer cure so that was how I found a lady called Peter Lizzy. She was testifying  to the world about the goodness of a herbal man who has the roots and herbs to cure all kinds of disease and the herbal man's email was there. So I decided to contact the herbal man @herbalist_sakura for my younger sister's help to cure her breast cancer. I contacted him and told him my problem he told me that I should not worry that my sister cancer will be cure, he told me that there is a medicine that he is going to give me that I will cook it and give it to my sister to drink for one week, so I ask how can I receive the cure that I am in USA, he told me That I will pay for the delivery service. The courier service can transport it to me so he told me the amount I will pay, so my dad paid for the delivery fee. two days later I receive the cure from the courier service so I used it as the herbal man instructed me to, before the week complete my sister cancer was healed and it was like a dream to me not knowing that it was physical I and my family were very happy about the miracle of Doctor so my dad wanted to pay him 5 million us dollars the herbal man did not accept the offer from my dad, but I don't know why he didn't accept the offer, he only say that I should tell the world about him and his miracle he perform so am now here to tell the world about him if you or your relative is having any kind of disease that you can't get from the hospital please contact dr.sakuraspellalter@gmail.com or whats app him +2348110114739  you can follow him up on Instagram @herbalist_sakura for the cure, he will help you out with the problem. And if you need more information about the doctor you can mail me davidclara223@gmail.com 

    ReplyDelete
  3. I GOT CURED FROM HERPES VIRUS I was diagnosed of HERPES virus and i have tried all I can to get cured but all to no avail,,until I saw a post in a health forum about a herbalist man who prepare herbal medications to cure all kind of diseases including #HERPES virus,at first I doubted if it was real but decided to give it a try,when I contacted this herbalist via his email and he prepared a #HERPES herbal cure and sent it to me via DHL delivery company service, when I received this herbal medicine, he gave me step by direction on how to apply it,after applying the way I was instructed,I was totally cured of this deadly disease called HERPES, all thanks to Dr OGODO Email this great herbal doctor via his email Ogodoherbalhomesolution@gmail.com
    You can also WhatsApp him on +2349044680467
    HE CAN ALSO CURE SICKNESS LIKE
    {1}HIV/AIDS
    {2}DIABETES
    {3}EPILEPSY
    {4} BLOOD CANCER
    {5} HPV
    {6} ALS
    {7} HEPATITIS
    {8}LOVE SPELL
    {9} SICKLE AND ANEMIA
    Only DR OGODO Can Help You I Love You Father.

    ReplyDelete
  4. There is a safe & effective Natural Herbal Medicine. For Total Cure Call    +2349010754824,  or email him   drrealakhigbe@gmail.com       For an Appointment with (Dr.) AKHIGBE contact him. Treatment with Natural Herbal Cure. For:Dengue Fever, Malaria. Painful or Irregular Menstruation. HIV/Aids. Diabetics. Vaginal Infections. Vaginal Discharge. Itching Of the Private Part. Breast Infection. Discharge from Breast. Breast Pain & Itching. Lower Abdominal Pain. No Periods or Periods Suddenly Stop. Women Sexual Problems. High Blood Pressure Chronic Disease. Pain during Sex inside the Pelvis. Pain during Urination. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, (PID). Dripping Of Sperm from the Vagina As Well As for Low sperm count. Parkinson disease. Obesity, Lupus. Soreness/Injury  Cancer.  Tuberculosis.  Zero sperm count. Bacteria, Impotence Fertility,Protoplasmic, Diarrhea. Hepatitis A&B, Rabies. Asthma.  Quick Ejaculation. Gallstone, Cystic Fibrosis, Schizophrenia, Crubs, Cirrhosis,  Premature Ejaculation. Herpes. Joint Pain. Stroke. Cornelia Disease, Weak Erection. Ovarian problem,  HeartBurn, Erysipelas, Thyroid, Relapsing polychondritis,  Discharge from Penis. Bronchial Problem,  HPV.  Hepatitis A and B. STD. Smallpox, Staphylococcus + Gonorrhea + Syphilis. Heart Disease.  Pile-Hemorrhoid.rheumatism,  Impotence, thyroid, Autism, Depression,  Sepsis Bacteria,  Penis enlargement, Prostate Problem,  Waist & Back Pain.  Male Infertility and Female Infertility. Etc. Take Action Now. contact him & Order for your Natural Herbal Medicine:  +2349010754824  and email him    drrealakhigbe@gmail.com    Note For an Appointment with (Dr.) AKHIGBE.I suffered in Cancer for a year and three months dying in pain and full of heartbreak. One day I was searching through the internet and I came across a testimony of herpes cure by doctor Akhigbe. So I contacted him to try my luck, we talked and he sent me the medicine through courier service and with instructions on how to be drinking it.To my greatest surprise drinking the herbal medicine within three weeks I got the changes and I was cured totally. I don't really know how it happens but there is power in Dr Akhigbe herbal medicine. He is a good herbalist doctor.

    ReplyDelete
  5. First, I want to complement this site administrator for creating this platform I frequently get cold sores(which lasts for 5-6 days on my lips and its painful both physically and mentally) .. As a bodybuilder, I basically get outbreak due to the daily pressure and heat in the body.. Recently I stumbled upon my salvation. I found a herbal remedy to cure hsv completely, in just 4weeks ..

    I got to know about Dr Utu after seeing a lady's testimony online. I reached the doctor and I ordered for herpes herbal medicine. He sent the herbs to me and I started making use of them. In just 2days, the cold sores are cleared. 4weeks after medication, I went to the hospital for test of cold sores and it was completely NEGATIVE.

    By following every prescription, i was able to cure my cold sore in less than 4weeks. 100% natural herbs no after effect.
    Note: Please do let others know if this work for you.
    The doctor's email is drutuherbalcure@gmail.com
    Note : follow all instructions accordingly..

    If you are sure that you have benefited from this African herbs be courageous to inform others.
    Thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
  6. My health was horrible before I decided to try the Protocol Of taking Dr. Omola pure herbal mixture. I felt there was no hope for my health and I was to try the Protocol, thinking it wouldn’t work because I have visited so many hospital but same result. However, I was convinced by a Instagram friend to try the herbal medicine because I wanted to get rid of Herpes virus. The herbal mixture that was given to me was really quick and easy to take, within 2 week I was fully cured from Herpes. The herbal medicine really work and I will like to share this great doctor contact with you all email him dr.omolaherbalhome@gmail.com or WhatsApp +2348118116254 you won't regret it, I promise.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with COPD and I was beyond scared! My lung function test indicated 49% capacity. After having had the flu a year ago, the shortness of breath, coughing and chest pains continued even after being treated with antibiotics. I've been smoking two packs a day for 36 years. Being born without a sternum caused my ribs to be curled in just one inch away from my spine, resulting in underdeveloped lungs. At age 34 I had surgery and it was fixed. Unfortunately my smoking just caused more damage to my already under developed lungs. The problem was that I enjoyed smoking and don't want to give up! Have tried twice before and nearly went crazy and don't want to go through that again. I saw the fear in my husband and children's eyes when I told them about my condition then they started to find a solution on their own to help my condition.I  diagnosed with this COPD emphysema which I know was from my years of smoking. I started smoking in school when smoking was socially acceptable.. It was not known then how dangerous cigarettes were for us, and it seemed everybody smoked it. On searching, internet my husband saw a testimony of a brother, Nathaniel, how he was also cured of COPD lungs. By a herbalist doctor Akhigbe with his herbal medicine and the brother also wrote the doctor contact on the testimony. We contacted the doctor I was writing to and my husband was writing to him too. The doctor told us what to do and the next week I received the herbal medicine. It was really unbelievable after I finished the medicine. Dr Akhigbe herbal medicine is supernatural, that is how I was able to get rid of my COPD lung condition through the help of  Dr Akhigbe with his  herbal medicine cure. Here is his email   [drrealakhigbe@gmail.com}   He has the right herbal formula to help you get rid and repair any lung conditions and other diseases, his medicine will cure you completely and permanently with his natural organic herbs,We received the medicine through courier delivery service. I wish anybody who starts smoking at a young age would realize what will eventually happen to their bodies if they continue that vile habit throughout their life. It's a lesson I learned and never to forget in my life now I promise my God myself and my family never to smoke again.. All thanks to doctor  Akhigbe, the real herbalist doctor with natural herbs who have cured different people with their different problems.
    Dr Akhighe also cured diseases like, HERPES, DIABETES, HIV/AIDS, COPD, CANCER,ASTHMA,STROKE,LUPUS,JOINT PAIN,CHRONIC DISEASES,PARKINSON DISEASES,TUBERCULOSIS,HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE,BREAST INFECTION,WOMEN SEXUAL PROBLEM, GINGIVITIS, ERYSIPELAS,STAPHYLOCOCCUS,HEPATITIS A/B, QUICK EJACULATION, IMMUNOTHERAPY, GONORRHEA,SYPHILIS,WAST/BACK PAIN,PELVIC INFLAMMATORY, DICK ENLARGEMENT,HEART DISEASES,TERMINAL ILLNESS,SHIFT IN FOCUS,ATAXIA,COMMON COLD, HEART HEALTH, CROHN'S DISEASES,ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER,GRAVES DISEASE,HEARING LOSS, ANTI VIRUS,  INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS,LEUKEMIA,MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS,OBESITY,RABIES,SCOLIOSIS,INFLUENZA, POLIO,JACOB,ETC. If you are out there looking for your cure please  contact  dr Akhigbe  by his email    drrealakhigbe@gmail.com     or contact his whatsapp number   +2348025012866
    God bless you Dr Akhigbe for your good hand work on my life.

    ReplyDelete