U/CL Pathfinders

 

ANTHRAX AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE

 

DEFINITION: Biological Warfare: “Warfare waged with biological (or bacteriological) agents. The essence of biological warfare is simple. It involves taking a highly infectious virus or bacteria that occurs naturally, and developing it so that its lethality is enormously increased…” Facts on File Dictionary of Military Science

Anthrax: “An infectious disease caused by inhaling the spores of Bacillus anthracis, a large, Gram-positive, nonmotile spore-forming bacterial rod, or by eating contaminated meat.” Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.

 

NARROW THE SUBJECT:

• Is the threat of urban terrorism exaggerated?

• How should the federal government combat the threat of terrorism?

• Does the Anti-Terrorism Act (1996) violate citizens' constitutional rights?

• Discuss genetic engineering and biological agents.

• Focus on one incident of terrorism such as the Sarin gas in the Tokyo subway in March 1995 or the anthrax cases in October 2001 at American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida.

• What is anthrax’s effect on the body.

• Discuss vaccines and treatment for people exposed to biological agents.

• What steps can be taken to help protect the public against a biological or chemical attack?

• How likely is a terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction?

• Compare mustard gas, anthrax, Botulinim toxin (botox), ricin and/or smallpox.

• Is a localized response better than a mass vaccination program?

 

LINCC SUBJECT HEADINGS: Anthrax, Terrorism, Chemical warfare, Biological warfare, Biological weapons, Biological arms control

 

SPECIALIZED SOURCES SHELVED IN THE REFERENCE COLLECTION:

Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security	REF JF 1525 .I6 E63 2004
Conn's Current Therapy	REF RM 101 .C87
Homeland Security Law Handbook	REF KF 4850 .H66 2003
McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology  "Bioterrorism"	REF Q 121 .M312 2005
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology “Anthrax”	REF Q 121 .M3

 

AVAILABLE AT THE REFERENCE DESK:

Biological and Chemical Weapons: At Issue

Merck Manual

Current Controversies: Urban Terrorism: (also available in the Opposing Viewpoints Database)

Opposing Viewpoints: Wespons of Mass Destruction; Epidemics  (also available in the Opposing Viewpoints Database)

CQ Researcher "Weapons of Mass Destruction"  3/8/2002

 

STATISTICS:

Statistical Abstract of the United States  (also at Reference Desk)

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Summary of Notifiable Diseases: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/summary.html

 

ELECTRONIC INDEXES:

Academic Search Complete

Expanded Academic ASAP

OmniFile Full Text Mega

Health and Wellness Resource Center

Issues & Controversies

CQ Researcher

 

FULL-TEXT NEWSPAPERS:  America's Newspapers

 

SUGGESTED INTERNET SITES:

Center for Biosecurity	http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/
United States C.D.C.	http://www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent/Anthrax/Anthrax.asp
Medline Plus: Anthrax	http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anthrax.html
Saint Louis University Bioterrorism	http://www.bioterrorism.slu.edu/bt.htm
New Scientist: Bioterrorism	http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/bioterrorism/bioterrorism.jsp

 

CITING YOUR SOURCES:

University/College Library Citing Electronic Resources Links

http://ucl.broward.edu/Cite_Your_Sources.htm

DT/NL 08/03 |dc| rev 4/08 ck2

 

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