Biological Weapons HM Manual Flashcards
What are the three types of biological agents?
Bacteria
Viruses
Toxins
What are the common bacterial agents that are weaponized?
Anthrax
Plague
Tularemia
What bacteria causes Anthrax?
Bacillus Anthracis
What bacteria causes Plague?
Yersina Pestis
What bacteria causes Tularemia?
Francisella Tularensis
What are the three types of anthrax?
Cutaneous
Pulmonary
Gastrointestinal
The average incubation period for anthrax is ___ to ___ days, although it can be incubated for ____ days
1-7 days
60 days
What would you expect to see on chest x-ray in a patient suffering from inhalation anthrax?
Mediastinal widening due to hemorrhagic lymphadenitis
What is the first line of treatment for anthrax?
Ciprofloxacin 500 mg PO BID or
Doxycycline 100mg PO BID
What is the second line of treatment for anthrax?
Amoxacillin 500mg TID or
PCN 2mU q4hrs IV
What is the dose schedule for Anthrax vaccine?
0,2,4 weeks and then 6,12,18 months followed by annual booster
The bacterium Yersina Pestis is found on rodents and their fleas and is easily destroyed by?
sunlight and drying
What are the three types of plague?
Pneumonic
Bubonic
Septicemic
What type of plague can spread from person to person?
Pneumonic
What type of plague is the most common form?
Bubonic
What type of plague is spread by infected flea bites?
Bubonic
What type of plague is the result of the plague bacteria multiplying in the blood?
Septicemic (can be a complication of pneumonic and bubonic plague)
What is the average incubation period for plague?
1-7 days
What are some symptoms of pneumonic plague?
Sudden onset of high fever, chills, malaise, tachycardia, intense headache, severe myalgias, rapidly developing pneumonia, cough with hemoptysis, dyspnea, and stridor, cyanosis and death
What are some symptoms of bubonic plague?
Swollen painful lymph nodes called buboes, high fever, chills, headache, and malasie
What are the primary abx when treating plague?
Streptomycin 1g q12hrs IV
Gentamicin
What is the alternative abx treatment of plague?
Doxycycline, ciprofloxacin or chloramphenicol
What disease is also known as rabbit fever?
Tularemia
What are the two types of tularemia?
Ulcergladular and Pneumoinc/typhoidal
What biological agent is a neuroparalytic disease that blocks actylcholine release from peripheral nerves?
Botulinum Toxin
What is the most toxic substance known?
Botulinum
Can botulism be transmitted person to person?
no
What are the types of botulism?
Food-borne
Infant
Wound
Inhalational
What is the incubation period of botulism?
12-36 hours
What are the common Toxins?
Botulism and Ricin
What are the common symptoms of the botulism casualty?
Cranial nerve palsies, dysphagia, dry mouth and throat, muscle weakness, sxs may progress to paralysis of arms and legs, trunk and respiratory muscles
What is the treatment for botulism?
Early administration of Trivalent antitoxin
Where is Ricin derived from?
the beans of the castor plant
What ist eh mechanism of action of Ricin?
Blocks protein synthesis at the cellular level, leads to irreversible cell death
What are the common weaponized viruses?
Smallpox and
Hemorrhagic fevers
What virus causes smallpox disease?
Variola Major and variola minor
