!Chemical Warfare!
st. stephen middleschool
November, 2001
This web site is about the atrocities of Chemical warfare in the history of afghanistan and the nearby countries .
http://www.encarta.msn.com/maps/mapview.asp?mi=T629436A&ms=0
There are many links to infomation about Afghanistan on the St. Stephen Middle School Web Page.
What is Anthrax
Anthrax is a naturally occurring
disease of plant eating animals (goats, sheep, cattle, wine,
etc.) caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.
It is an illness which has been recognized since antiquity. Anthrax was common in essentially all areas where
livestock are raised. Intensive livestock immunization programs
have greatly reduced the occurrence of the disease among both
animals and humans in much of the world, an most outbreaks occur
in areas where immunization programs have not been implemented or
have become compromised (primarily Africa and Asia; however,
outbreaks occurred during the mid- I 990's in Haiti and the
former Soviet Union
http://www.terrorismfiles.org/weapons/bacillus_anthracis.html
Comic Relief
This is a recent comic done
by a man named Jack Ohman.
http://www.ucomics.com/
Sniffing Out Chemical Warfare
A portable nerve-gas
detector unveiled Monday may someday be used to protect troops in
the field from chemical warfare. Although the current prototype
is a perfect 3-foot cube, its inventors want the final product
shrunk down to the size of a cell phone.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,38306,00.html
Afghanistan War
Leaves Little Ground For Crop
Food production and food
security have both fallen victim to decades of warfare in
Afghanistan. Production of cereals fell slightly while returning
refugees helped swell the population by 25 percent between 1980
and 1996. As a result, average daily food intake fell from 2 186
calories to 1 710 calories, significantly below minimum
requirements. Two-thirds of the country's provinces are now
food-deficit areas; but the war-torn economy cannot generate
imports to fill the gap.Afghanistan's problems are unusual in a
region where levels of undernourishment are generally low. But
they are typical of many war-torn countries facing complex
humanitarian emergencies. More than 40 percent of the country's
arable land is riddled with landmines and cannot be farmed.
Thousands of people who used to make their living from farming
have migrated to towns and cities, joining the ranks of a new,
impoverished urban underclass. Only 15 percent of the population
have access to safe water and some 70 percent are illiterate.
Intermittent fighting and restrictions on movement continue to
disrupt efforts to rebuild the country.One in every 50 Afghans
has been a landmine casualty. Every day, mine blasts kill or maim
another 10 people, a third of them women and children. Many who
have been disabled by war injuries or mines are no longer able to
work. Their dependent status puts additional pressures on other
family members who must feed and care for them.Large volumes of
food aid remain far from sufficient to satisfy the minimum needs
of such a large number of undernourished. Until peace is
restored, there can be little hope of any lasting solutions.
http://www.fao.org/FOCUS/E/SOFI/dca-e.htm
HOW
TO HANDLE ANTHRAX AND OTHER BIOLOGICAL AGENT THREATS
Many facilities in communities around the country have received
anthrax threat letters. Most were empty envelopes; some have
contained powdery substances. The purpose of these guidelines is
to recommend procedures for handling such incidents.
Do not Panic
1. Anthrax organisms can cause infection in the skin,
gastrointestinal system, or the lungs. To do, so the organism
must be rubbed into abraded skin, swallowed, or inhaled as a
fine, aerosolized mist. Disease can be prevented after exposure
to the anthrax spores by early treatment with the appropriate
antibiotics. Anthrax is not spread from one person to another
person.
2. For anthrax to be effective as a covert agent, it must be
aerosolized into very small particles. This is difficult to do,
and requires a great deal of technical skill and special
equipment. If these small particles are inhaled, life-threatening
lung infection can occur, but prompt recognition and treatment
are effective.
Suspicious unopened letter or package marked with threatening
message such as "Anthrax":
1. Do not shake or empty the contents of any suspicious envelope
or package.
2. PLACE the envelope or package in a plastic bag or some other
type of container to prevent leakage of contents.
3. If you do not have any container, then COVER the envelope or
package with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.)
and do not remove this cover.
4. Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the
area to prevent others from entering (i.e., keep others away).
5. WASH your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any
powder to your face.
6. What to do next…
· If you are at HOME, then report the incident to local police.
· If you are at WORK, then report the incident to local police,
and notify your building security official or an available
supervisor.
7. LIST all people who were in the room or area when this
suspicious letter or package was recognized. Give this list to
both the local public health authorities and law enforcement
officials for follow-up investigations and advice.
Envelope with powder and powder spills out onto surface:
1. DO NOT try to CLEAN UP the powder. COVER the spilled contents
immediately with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can,
etc.) and do not remove this cover!
2. Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the
area to prevent others from entering (i.e., keep others away).
3. WASH your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any
powder to your face.
4. What to do next…
· If you are at HOME, then report the incident to local police.
· If you are at WORK, then report the incident to local police,
and notify your building security official or an available
supervisor.
5. REMOVE heavily contaminated clothing as soon as possible and
place in a plastic bag, or some other container that can be
sealed. This clothing bag should be given to the emergency
responders for proper handling.
6. SHOWER with soap and water as soon as possible. Do Not Use
Bleach Or Other Disinfectant On Your Skin.
7. If possible, list all people who were in the room or area,
especially those who had actual contact with the powder. Give
this list to both the local public health authorities so that
proper instructions can be given for medical follow-up, and to
law enforcement officials for further investigation.
Question of room contamination by aerosolization:
For example: small device triggered, warning that air handling
system is contaminated, or warning that a biological agent
released in a public space.
1. Turn off local fans or ventilation units in the area.
2. LEAVE area immediately.
3. CLOSE the door, or section off the area to prevent others from
entering (i.e., keep others away).
4. What to do next…
- If you are at HOME, then dial "911" to report the
incident to local police and the local FBI field office.
- If you are at WORK, then dial "911" to report the
incident to local police and the local FBI field office, and
notify your building security official or an available
supervisor.
5. SHUT down air handling system in the building, if possible.
6. If possible, list all people who were in the room or area.
Give this list to both the local public health authorities so
that proper instructions can be given for medical follow-up, and
to law enforcement officials for further investigation.
How to identify suspicious packages and letters
Some characteristics of suspicious packages and letters include
the following…
· Excessive postage
· Handwritten or poorly typed addresses
· Incorrect titles
· Title, but no name
· Misspellings of common words
· Oily stains, discolorations or odor
· No return address
· Excessive weight
· Lopsided or uneven envelope
· Protruding wires or aluminum foil
· Excessive security material such as masking tape, string, etc.
· Visual distractions
· Ticking sound
· Marked with restrictive endorsements, such as
"Personal" or "Confidential"
· Shows a city or state in the postmark that does not match the
return address
All information was extracted from the "Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention", Government Web Site.
http://www.seanet.com/Users/gtate/cw.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/anthrax_g.htm
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/DocumentsApp/Anthrax/10122001Handle/10122001Handle.asp
