|
|
Bioterror
|
|
|
|
Classroom Activity
|
Objective
To help students learn more about the October 2001 anthrax attacks and their
aftermath.
- copy of the "Getting Informed" teacher sheet (PDF or
HTML)
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. 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. 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overly aggressive or withdrawn, consider consulting with a mental health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.
Types
|
Cutaneous
(Skin)
Anthrax
|
Inhalation
Anthrax
|
Intestinal
Anthrax
|
Background
|
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.
|
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.
|
Brought
on by consuming contaminated meat. No cases of intestinal anthrax have been
reported in the past 50 years, as of November 9, 2001.
|
Symptoms
|
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.
|
May
resemble a cold or flu virus, or a cough. Rapidly develops into severe
breathing problems and total body function collapse.
|
Starts
with nausea, appetite loss, vomiting, and fever, followed by abdominal pain,
vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea.
|
Prevention
|
Wash
hands, bandage wounds, and treat blisters.
|
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.
|
Cook
meat well.
|
Treatment
|
antibiotics,
both for adults and children
|
antibiotics,
both for adults and children
|
antibiotics,
both for adults and children
|
Fatality
|
~20
percent
|
~90
percent
|
25
to 60 percent
|
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
|
Science Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
|
|
|
Risks and benefits
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. Important personal and social decisions are made based on perceptions of
benefits and risks.
Science and technology in society
Grades 9-12
|
|
Science Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
|
|
|
Personal and community health
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
|
|
