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Anthrax Weaponization
Anthrax weaponization is the development and deployment of the bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis'' or, more commonly, its spore (referred to as anthrax), as a Biological agent, biological weapon. As a biological weapon, anthrax has been used in Biological warfare, biowarfare and bioterrorism since 1914. However, in 1975, the Biological Weapons Convention prohibited the "development, production and stockpiling" of biological weapons. It has since been used in bioterrorism. Anthrax spores can cause infection from inhalation, skin contact, ingestion or injection and when untreated can lead to death. Likely delivery methods of weaponized anthrax include aerial dispersal or dispersal through livestock. Notable bioterrorism uses include the 2001 anthrax attacks and an incident in 1993 by the Aum Shinrikyo group in Japan. Biological overview Concentrated anthrax spores, and not necessarily the bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis'', pose the biggest risk as a biological weapons to humans. When ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bacillus Anthracis
''Bacillus anthracis'' is a gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium that causes anthrax, a deadly disease to livestock and, occasionally, to humans. It is the only permanent (obligate) pathogen within the genus ''Bacillus''. Its infection is a type of zoonosis, as it is transmitted from animals to humans. It was discovered by a German physician Robert Koch in 1876, and became the first bacterium to be experimentally shown as a pathogen. The discovery was also the first scientific evidence for the germ theory of diseases. ''B. anthracis'' measures about 3 to 5 μm long and 1 to 1.2 μm wide. The reference genome consists of a 5,227,419 bp circular chromosome and two extrachromosomal DNA plasmids, pXO1 and pXO2, of 181,677 and 94,830 bp respectively, which are responsible for the pathogenicity. It forms a protective layer called endospore by which it can remain inactive for many years and suddenly becomes infective under suitable environmental conditions. Because of the resilience ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hart Senate Office Building
The Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building is the third U.S. Senate office building, and is located on 2nd Street NE between Constitution Avenue NE and C Street NE, northeast of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Construction began in January 1975, and it was first occupied in November 1982. Rapidly rising construction costs plagued the building, creating several unfortunate scandals. The structure is named for Philip A. Hart (1912–1976), who served 18 years as a United States Senator from Michigan. Accessed via a spur of the United States Capitol Subway System, the building features a nine-story atrium dominated by massive artwork, and a large Central Hearing Facility which provides television facilities as well as extensive seating. Design and construction The Dirksen Senate Office Building was intended to occupy the entire block bounded by 1st Street NE, Constitution Avenue NE, 2nd Street NE, and C Street NE. However, due to the resource ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chloramphenicol
Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes use as an eye ointment to treat conjunctivitis. By mouth or by intravenous, injection into a vein, it is used to treat meningitis, plague (disease), plague, cholera, and typhoid fever. Its use by mouth or by injection is only recommended when safer antibiotics cannot be used. Monitoring both blood levels of the medication and blood cell levels every two days is recommended during treatment. Common side effects include bone marrow suppression, nausea, and diarrhea. The bone marrow suppression may result in death. To reduce the risk of side effects treatment duration should be as short as possible. People with liver or kidney problems may need lower doses. In young infants, a condition known as gray baby syndrome may occur which results in a swollen stomach and Hypotension, low blood pressure. Its use near the end of pregnancy and during breastfeeding is typically not re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meropenem
Meropenem, sold under the brand name Merrem among others, is an intravenous carbapenem antibiotic used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. Some of these include meningitis, intra-abdominal infection, pneumonia, sepsis, and anthrax. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, constipation, headache, rash, and pain at the site of injection. Serious side effects include ''Clostridioides difficile'' infection, seizures, and allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Those who are allergic to other β-lactam antibiotics are more likely to be allergic to meropenem as well. Use in pregnancy appears to be safe. It is in the carbapenem family of medications. Meropenem usually results in bacterial death through blocking their ability to make a cell wall. It is resistant to breakdown by many kinds of β-lactamase enzymes, produced by bacteria to protect themselves from antibiotics. Meropenem was patented in 1983. It was approved for medical use in the United States in 1996. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imipenem/cilastatin
Imipenem/cilastatin, sold under the brand name Primaxin among others, is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. It is made from a combination of imipenem and cilastatin. Specifically it is used for pneumonia, sepsis, endocarditis, joint infections, intra-abdominal infections, and urinary tract infections. It is given by intravenous, injection into a vein or intramuscular, muscle. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and pain at the site of injection. Other side effects may include Clostridioides difficile infection, ''Clostridioides difficile'' diarrhea and allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. It is unclear if use during pregnancy is safe for the baby. Imipenem is in the carbapenem family of medications and works by interfering with the bacteria's cell wall. Cilastatin blocks the activity of dehydropeptidase I which prevents the breakdown of imipenem. Imipenem/cilastatin was first sold in 1987. It is on the WHO Model List of E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vancomycin
Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic medication used to treat certain bacterial infections. It is administered intravenously ( injection into a vein) to treat complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint infections, and meningitis caused by methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus''. Blood levels may be measured to determine the correct dose. Vancomycin is also taken orally (by mouth) to treat ''Clostridioides difficile'' infections. When taken orally, it is poorly absorbed. Common side effects include pain in the area of injection and allergic reactions. Occasionally, hearing loss, low blood pressure, or bone marrow suppression occur. Safety in pregnancy is not clear, but no evidence of harm has been found, and it is likely safe for use when breastfeeding. It is a type of glycopeptide antibiotic and works by blocking the construction of a cell wall. Vancomycin was approved for medical use in the United States in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clindamycin
Clindamycin is a lincosamide antibiotic medication used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections, including osteomyelitis (bone) or joint infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, strep throat, pneumonia, acute otitis media (middle ear infections), and endocarditis. It can also be used to treat acne, and some cases of methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA). In combination with quinine, it can be used to treat malaria. It is available by mouth, by injection into a vein, and as a cream or a gel to be applied to the skin or in the vagina. Common side effects include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, and pain at the site of injection. It increases the risk of hospital-acquired ''Clostridioides difficile'' colitis about fourfold and thus is only recommended for use when other antibiotics are not appropriate. It appears to be generally safe in pregnancy. It is of the lincosamide class and works by blocking bacteria from making protein. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doxycycline
Doxycycline is a Broad-spectrum antibiotic, broad-spectrum antibiotic of the Tetracycline antibiotics, tetracycline class used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria and certain parasites. It is used to treat pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, acne vulgaris, acne, chlamydia infections, Lyme disease, cholera, typhus, and syphilis. It is also used to prevent malaria. Doxycycline may be taken Oral administration, by mouth or by intravenous, injection into a vein. Common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and an increased risk of sunburn. Use during pregnancy is not recommended. Like other agents of the tetracycline class, it either slows or kills bacteria by inhibiting protein production. It kills malaria by targeting a plastid organelle, the apicoplast. Doxycycline was patented in 1957 and came into commercial use in 1967. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Doxycyc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone
Ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone, sold under the brand name Ciprodex among others, is an antibiotic/steroid fixed-dose combination medication used for the treatment of ear infections. It contains ciprofloxacin, as the hydrochloride, a fluoroquinolone antibacterial; and dexamethasone, a corticosteroid. It is used as ear drops. Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, has shown ''in vitro'' activity against many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including ''Staphylococcus aureus'', ''Streptococcus pneumoniae'', ''Haemophilus influenzae'', ''Moraxella catarrhalis'', and ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa''. Dexamethasone acts as an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid. In 2022, it was the 286th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 500,000 prescriptions. Medical uses Ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone is indicated for use in the treatment of acute otitis media and acute otitis externa (swimmer's ear) in people aged six months of age and older. Mechanism of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anti-ballistic Missile
An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to Missile defense, destroy in-flight ballistic missiles. They achieve this explosively (chemical or nuclear), or via hit-to-kill Kinetic projectile, kinetic vehicles, which may also have self-maneuvering. Tactical systems are widely deployed to counter Short-range ballistic missile, short and Intermediate-range ballistic missile, intermediate-range ballistic missiles that carry conventional weapon, conventional warheads. Strategic systems, deployed by the United States, Russia, and Israel, are capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles, typically used to carry Strategic nuclear weapon, strategic nuclear warheads. During the Cold War, the 1972 ABM Treaty limited the nuclear arms race; excessive ICBM production would have been favoured to overwhelm ABM systems. Of the modern strategic ABM systems, only Russia's are themselves armed with nuclear warheads. Current counter-ICBM systems There are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Booster Dose
A booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier ( primer) dose. After initial immunization, a booster provides a re-exposure to the immunizing antigen. It is intended to increase immunity against that antigen back to protective levels after memory against that antigen has declined through time. For example, tetanus shot boosters are often recommended every 10 years, by which point memory cells specific against tetanus lose their function or undergo apoptosis. The need for a booster dose following a primary vaccination is evaluated in several ways. One way is to measure the level of antibodies specific against a disease a few years after the primary dose is given. Anamnestic response, the rapid production of antibodies after a stimulus of an antigen, is a typical way to measure the need for a booster dose of a certain vaccine. If the anamnestic response is high after receiving a primary vaccine many years ago, there is most likely little to no need for a boo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthrax Vaccines
Anthrax vaccines are vaccines to prevent the livestock and human disease anthrax, caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. They have had a prominent place in the history of medicine, from Pasteur's pioneering 19th-century work with cattle (the first effective bacterial vaccine and the second effective vaccine ever) to the controversial late 20th century use of a modern product to protect American troops against the use of anthrax in biological warfare. Human anthrax vaccines were developed by the Soviet Union in the late 1930s and in the US and UK in the 1950s. The current vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was formulated in the 1960s. Currently administered human anthrax vaccines include acellular (USA, UK) and live spore (Russia) varieties. All currently used anthrax vaccines show considerable local and general reactogenicity (erythema, induration, soreness, fever) and serious adverse reactions occur in about 1% of recipients. New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
