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Bioterror
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Classroom Activity
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Objective
To help students learn more about the October 2001 anthrax attacks
and their aftermath.
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copy of the "Getting Informed" teacher sheet (PDF
or
HTML)
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When trying to help students learn more about the threat of
bioterrorism, students of all ages should continue with normal
routines. Students of different ages react differently to trauma
depending upon their age. The American Psychological Association
notes that it is important to learn what preconceptions
teenagers may hold about the threat, and to help clear up any
misinformation they may have. (See the "What Are Bioagents?" and
"Who Says What" activities on your teacher sheet.) Some older
children may benefit by engaging in activities in which they can
make a personal contribution that will benefit others.
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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should
be allowed to express their fears and concerns. Keeping routines
intact is important, as is letting students know that their
caregivers, schoolteachers, local community leaders, and federal
government are doing everything they can to protect children
from harm. To help students understand this, have them do the
"What's Being Done?" activity on your teacher sheet.
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Monitor students' reactions to discussions about anthrax and
bioterrorism. If students seem to exhibit changes in their
normal behavior, such as being overly aggressive or withdrawn,
consider consulting with a mental health professional trained in
trauma care about the students' behaviors. See "Whom to Contact"
on the teacher sheet.
In discussing anthrax with your students, it may be helpful to
clarify some terms students may have heard but not fully understood.
Bacteria are microscopic, single-celled organisms.
Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that produced anthrax,
attacks the body's cells and releases poisons known as toxins. The
effects of these toxins are what causes death.
Doctors use substances called antibiotics to kill anthrax bacteria;
however, antibiotics cannot neutralize the toxins once they have
been released. Vaccines are used to produce immunity against
disease. The anthrax vaccine uses dead anthrax bacteria to stimulate
the body to produce antibodies against the disease.
The bioterrorism attacks on the United States in fall 2001 may have
seemed to some like a new kind of warfare, but biological warfare is
not new. It dates back centuries; one of the earliest uses occurred
in the 6th century B.C. when the Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with
rye ergot, a fungal disease.
Anthrax is a disease caused by the bacterium known as
Bacillus anthracis, which resides inactive in soils.
Warm-blooded animals such as cows, sheep, and goats can contract the
disease by eating food contaminated with spores. It is rare to find
infected animals in the United States. While anthrax can be
infectious to humans, it cannot be transmitted from person to
person.
Prior to the fall 2001 cases, the most recent case of inhalation
anthrax in the United States was reported in 1976. This was one of
only 18 cases of inhalation anthrax reported in the last 100 years.
The risk of contracting any of the three types of anthrax remains
very unlikely.
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Types
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Cutaneous
(Skin)
Anthrax
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Inhalation
Anthrax
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Intestinal
Anthrax
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Background
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Cause of most anthrax infections; spores must come in contact
with skin lesion or skin wound. By November 9, 2001, there
were 7 confirmed cases.
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The most severe of the types of anthrax. As of November 9,
2001, there were 10 confirmed cases of inhalation anthrax,
with 4 resulting in death.
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Brought on by consuming contaminated meat. No cases of
intestinal anthrax have been reported in the past 50 years, as
of November 9, 2001.
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Symptoms
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Begins as raised, itchy bump resembling an insect bite.
Develops into a blister and then painless ulcer. Fever,
swelling, and headache may follow. Presents characteristic
black lesion.
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May resemble a cold or flu virus, or a cough. Rapidly develops
into severe breathing problems and total body function
collapse.
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Starts with nausea, appetite loss, vomiting, and fever,
followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe
diarrhea.
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Prevention
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Wash hands, bandage wounds, and treat blisters.
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Most inhalation anthrax exposures have occurred through mailed
letters; students should report (and not open) any suspicious
mail or other packages to an adult immediately.
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Cook meat well.
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Treatment
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antibiotics, both for adults and children
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antibiotics, both for adults and children
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antibiotics, both for adults and children
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Fatality
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~20 percent
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~90 percent
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25 to 60 percent
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Book
Miller, Judith, Stephen Engelberg, and William Broad.
Germs. New York: Simon & Schuster: 2001.
Investigates U.S. and Soviet development of germ warfare during the
Cold War, and exposes current bioterror risks and lack of
preparedness for biowarfare in the United States.
Articles
Boyer, Peter G. "The Ames Strain." The New Yorker; November
12, 2001, pp 66-75.
Describes how the anthrax strain known as the Ames strain may have
originated in spores from a single cow in Iowa, and how and why it
proliferated in germ laboratories.
Preston, Richard. "The Demon in the Freezer."
The New Yorker; July 12, 1999, pp. 44-61.
Explores smallpox, the history of the virus, attempts to eradicate
the illness, its transmission and recurrence in 1972, and its
legitimacy as a biowarfare threat.
Web Sites
NOVA Online—Bioterror
http://www.pbs.org/nova/bioterror/
Includes information on the eight lethal biological agents that may
pose the greatest threats of biowarfare, answers to frequently asked
questions, a timeline of the history of biological warfare, an
online activity about making vaccines, and more.
Anthrax Information
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
Provides information about anthrax and the current public health
emergency response as well as health alerts, advisories, and updates
from the Centers for Disease Control.
Anthrax and Bioterrorism Tutorial
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/anthraxloader.html
This audiovisual tutorial walks you through general background
information about anthrax, such as types of anthrax, symptoms, and
treatment.
Brainpop
http://www.brainpop.com/health/diseases/anthrax
Join cartoon characters Tim and Moby for a quick lesson about
anthrax. As Tim calms Moby's fears about the threat of anthrax, he
may calm your fears, too.
Handling Anxiety in the Face of the Anthrax Scare
http://helping.apa.org/daily/anthrax.html
The American Psychological Association offers advice on how to deal
with anxiety in the face of the anthrax scare. Help your students
put the threat in perspective.
Helping Students Heal: How Teachers Can Help
http://www.msnbc.com/news/628001.asp#BODY
Explains how teachers can help their students deal with the
aftermath of the national tragedy.
Learn About Anthrax
http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/news/11/02/antrax/index.html
Explains the basic facts about anthrax and provides follow-up
discussion questions to share with your class.
Researchers Discover Secrets of Anthrax's Killer Toxin
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2001/niaid-23.htm
Summarizes results of two recent research papers about the mechanism
by which anthrax toxin destroys cells.
The "Getting Informed" activity aligns with the following National
Science Education Standards:
Grades 5-8
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Science Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social
Perspectives
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Risks and benefits
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Risk analysis considers the type of hazard and estimates the
number of people likely to suffer consequences. The results are
used to determine the options for reducing or eliminating risks.
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Important personal and social decisions are made based on
perceptions of benefits and risks.
Science and technology in society
Grades 9-12
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Science Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social
Perspectives
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Personal and community health
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The severity of disease symptoms is dependent upon many factors,
such as human resistance and the virulence of the
disease-producing organism. Many diseases can be prevented,
controlled, or cured.
Science and technology in local, national, and global
challenges
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