Transcript Bioterrorism - rushartsbiology

A Brief Look at…
Source:
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Anthrax
Bacillius anthracis
This image depicted numbers of Bacillus anthracis bacterial colonies,
which had been allowed to grow on sheep’s blood agar (SBA) for a 24 hour
period.
Anthrax
Bacillius anthracis
Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic mammalian species (cattle, sheep,
goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores), but it can also occur in humans when
they are exposed to infected animals or to tissue from infected animals or when anthrax
spores are used as a bioterrorist weapon.
ANTHRAX AS A WEAPON.
• THIS HAPPENED IN THE UNITED STATES IN
2001. ANTHRAX WAS DELIBERATELY SPREAD
THROUGH THE POSTAL SYSTEM BY SENDING
LETTERS WITH POWDER CONTAINING
ANTHRAX. THIS CAUSED 22 CASES OF
ANTHRAX INFECTION.
• http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/anthrax/needto
know.asp
Botulism
Clostridium botulinum
These are Clostridium botulinum Type E colonies displaying an opaque zone
grown on a 48hr egg yolk agar plate; Mag. 1.9X.
Cholera
Vibrio cholerae
This Gram-stain
depicts flagellated
Vibrio comma
bacteria, a strain of V.
cholerae; the cause of
Asiatic cholera.
A person may get
cholera by drinking
water or eating food
contaminated with the
cholera bacterium,
therefore, inadequate
sewerage treatment
can facilitate the
spread of the disease
during epidemics.
Cholera
Vibrio cholerae
This scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicted a number of Vibrio
cholerae bacteria of the serogroup 01; Magnified 22371x.
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
(Ebola Virus)
Depicted here in this 2007 photograph, was
Centers for Disease Control microbiologist,
and Special Pathogens Branch (SPB) staff
member, Zachary Braden as he was in the
process of counting viral plaques within fixed
monolayers of cells, which had been set atop
a light box.
While inside the organization’s Biosafety
Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory, this activity was
taking place so that Mr. Braden would be
able to titrate a viral stock. Zachary was
outfitted in an orange air-tight, selfcontained, positively-pressurized suit, which
kept him free of possible contamination.
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
(Ebola Virus)
Created by CDC microbiologist
Frederick A. Murphy, this colorized
transmission electron micrograph
(TEM) revealed some of the
ultrastructural morphology
displayed by an Ebola virus virion.
(Ebola Virus)
This 2007 image depicted Centers for Disease
Control microbiologists Dr. Thomas Stevens,
Jr., and Dr. Amy Hartman, as they were in the
process of suiting up in order to access the
interior of the organization’s Biosafety Level4 (BSL-4) laboratory.
Dr. Stevens was attaching his supportive air
hose, which would provide a supply of
filtered, breathable air, as well as maintain
positive air pressure inside his air tight
orange suit.