How Anthrax Affects the Human Body

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How Anthrax Affects the Human Body

Phil Pulaski

Phil Pulaski is a law enforcement executive with over 36 years of experience who formerly served as chief of detectives of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) were he was responsible for 3600 personnel. In the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Phil Pulaski managed the NYPD’s counterterrorism and weapons of mass destruction operations. He also supervised, together with his FBI counterpart, numerous terrorism related investigations including the 9-11 World Trade Center attack and October 2001 anthrax attacks. Additionally, during the 2001 anthrax attacks, Phil Pulaski served as personal advisor to Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik regarding biological weapon issues and implemented numerous biological weapon programs.

In October 2001, the United States was attacked with anthrax laden envelopes, and nationwide there were 22 victims of anthrax including 5 anthrax homicide victims. In New York City, at least four (4) media companies were attacked with anthrax, and there were 8 victims of anthrax including 1 anthrax homicide victim.

A preferred biological weapon among terrorists, anthrax, technically known as bacterium bacillus anthracis, is capable of inducing life-threatening symptoms in individuals. This is especially true of airborne anthrax, which is sometimes called pulmonary anthrax. Airborne anthrax is a form of weaponized anthrax that can infect an individual through the nose or mouth and quickly harm the lungs. Symptoms can include a sore throat, nausea, coughing up blood, going into shock, and developing a high fever and meningitis. An airborne release of weaponized anthrax over a large city could produce 100,000 casualties.

Anthrax comes in several other forms. These include cutaneous anthrax, gastrointestinal anthrax, and injection anthrax. This last form of anthrax infection has only been recently identified. So far, it has been contained to Europe. It is spread by injecting illegal drugs, and its symptoms include redness around the injection, swelling, going into shock, multiple organ failures, and developing meningitis.