The Security Professionals, Inc.
When you need security, you can count on us.
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When you need security, you can count on us. |
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| Disease | Treatment | Possibilities as a Weapon |
| ANTHRAX A deadly infection caused by colorless, odorless bacteria spores commonly found in cows and sheep. It is not contagious. Symptoms: Infection from inhalation resembles common cold and progresses to severe breathing problems and shock after several days. Inhaled anthrax is usually fatal. |
Antibiotics
such as penicillin or Ciproflaxacin must be taken
immediately.
Although a vaccine is available it is generally given only to active duty military personnel. |
Relatively easy to manufacture and store, but difficult to disperse in large quantities. Bright sunlight kills the spores and thousands must be inhaled for an infection to develop. |
| BOTULISM A muscle-paralyzing disease usually caused by a toxin found in contaminated food. Symptoms: About 18 to 36 hours after exposure victims develop blurry vision and slurred speech and paralysis descends through the body. About 8 percent of those infected die. |
If diagnosed early, an
antitoxin can block spread of toxins through the body.
Hospital care is essential. |
Lethal strains are hard to grow in large quantities and would be difficult to disperse. |
| CHOLERA An acute diarrhea illness transmitted through contaminated food and water. Symptoms: Often mild about 1 in 20 cases are severe, with diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. Less than 1 percent of those infected die if treated promptly. |
Replace
lost fluids and salts. Antibiotics are sometimes used.
There is a vaccine available, however it is not available in the United States. |
Likelihood of use as a weapon is very low. |
| PLAGUE Highly contagious disease has killed millions through history but is very rare today. Symptoms: Fever, chills and a cough with blood appear one to six days after exposure. Is fatal in almost all untreated cases. |
Antibiotics (for
Pneumonic plague, the type most likely to be spread in a terrorist
attack).
There is no Vaccine available at this time. |
Bacteria are widely
available in microbe banks around the world.
Could be transmitted by infecting fleas or by aerosol. |
| SALMONELLOSIS Infection caused by microscopic bacteria usually spread by eating foods tainted by animal feces. Symptoms: Diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. Very rarely causes death. |
Often not required
unless dehydration is severe. Recovery is usually 5 to 7
days.
There is no Vaccine available at this time. |
Relatively easy to obtain and manufacture. |
| SMALLPOX Eradicated from people in 1970's, highly transmissible virus is universally feared as world's most devastating infectious disease. Symptoms: About 12 to 14 days after exposure, high fever and headache give way to rash on the mouth and fact. It is fatal about 30 percent of the time. |
There is no proven treatment.
Vaccine within four days of exposure can lessen severity. |
U.S. and Russia have
only known stores but other countries may have samples.
Large-scale manufactures is difficult and would be hard to spread through aerosol. |
| TULAREMIA Hardy, highly infectious organism usually transmitted by rabbits and mice. Symptoms: Flu like symptoms usually begin within three days of exposure and it affects the lymph glands. It can be fatal in up to 60 percent of untreated cases. |
Antibiotics are usually
effective.
There is a vaccine available but not FDA approved and not available to the public. |
As few as 10 organisms, which can survive for weeks, can cause disease. It has been stockpiled in the past by U.S., Soviet Union and Japan militaries. |
| Q
FEVER Very infectious airborne agent commonly found in livestock. A single organism can cause disease. Symptoms: About half of victims show signs ranging from high fever and headache to pneumonia. Fewer than 2 percent of infected people die. |
Antibiotics are
effective, though most patients recover without treatment.
There is a vaccine available, however it is not widely used. |
Organism is resistant to heat and drying. |
| VIRAL
HEMORRHAGIC FEVERS Highly contagious fever such as Ebola and Marhurg diseases are usually caught from animals. Symptoms: Vary greatly, but generally include high fever and dizziness with signs of bleeding under the skin. Shock follows and most cases are fatal. |
Generally there is no treatment and no vaccine is available. | Manufacturing, storing and transporting a little-understood virus like Ebola would be very difficult. |
| Information provided by The Illinois Department of Public Health. | ||
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