Brucellosis historical perspective: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
The popular name "undulant fever" originates from the characteristic undulance (or "wave-like" nature) of the fever which rises and falls over weeks in untreated patients. In the 20th Century, this name, along with "brucellosis" (after ''[[Brucella]]'', named for Dr Bruce), gradually replaced the 19th Century names "Mediterranean fever" and "Malta fever". | The popular name "undulant fever" originates from the characteristic undulance (or "wave-like" nature) of the fever which rises and falls over weeks in untreated patients. In the 20th Century, this name, along with "brucellosis" (after ''[[Brucella]]'', named for Dr Bruce), gradually replaced the 19th Century names "Mediterranean fever" and "Malta fever". | ||
===Biological warfare=== | |||
In 1954, ''B. suis'' became the first agent [[biological warfare|weaponized]] by the U.S. at its Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas. ''Brucella'' species survive well in aerosols and resist drying. ''Brucella'' and all other remaining biological weapons in the US arsenal were destroyed in 1971-72 when the U.S. offensive biological weapons (BW) program was discontinued. <ref >{{cite book|author=Woods, Lt Col Jon B. (ed.)|title=[http://www.usamriid.army.mil/education/bluebookpdf/USAMRIID%20BlueBook%206th%20Edition%20-%20Sep%202006.pdf ''USAMRIID’s Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook'']|edition=6th ed.|publisher=[[USAMRIID|U.S. Army Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases]], Fort Detrick, Maryland|year=April 2005|pages = 53}}</ref> | |||
The United States BW program focused on three agents of the ''Brucella'' group: | |||
* Porcine Brucellosis (Agent US) | |||
* Bovine Brucellosis (Agent AB) | |||
* Caprina Brucellosis (Agent AM) | |||
Agent US was in advanced development by the end of the Second World War. When the USAF wanted a biological warfare capability, the Chemical Corps offered agent US in the M114 bomblet, based after the 4-pound bursting bomblet developed for [[anthrax]] in the Second World War. Though the capability was developed, operational testing indicated that the weapon was less than desirable, and the USAF termed it an interim capability until replaced by a more effective biological weapon. The main drawbacks of the M114 with agent US was that it was incapacitating (the USAF wanted "killer" agents), the storage stability was too low to allow for storing at forward air bases, and the logistical requirements to neutralize a target were far higher than originally anticipated, requiring unreasonable logistical air support. | |||
Agents US and AB had a median infective dose of 500 org/person, and AM was 300 org/person. The rate-of-action was believed to be 2 weeks, with a duration of action of several months. The lethality estimate was based on epidemiological information at 1 - 2%. AM was always believed to be a more virulent disease, and a 3% fatality rate was expected. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 15:08, 5 December 2012
|
Brucellosis Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Brucellosis historical perspective On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Brucellosis historical perspective |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Brucellosis historical perspective |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [2]
Historical Perspective
The disease now called brucellosis, under the name "Mediterranean fever", first came to the attention of British medical officers in Malta during the Crimean War in the 1850s. The causal relationship between organism and disease was first established by Dr. David Bruce in 1887. [1]
In 1897 Danish veterinarian Bernhard Bang isolated Brucella abortus as the agent and the additional name Bang's disease was assigned. In modern usage "Bang's disease" is often shortened to just "bangs" when ranchers discuss the disease or vaccine.
Maltese doctor and archaeologist Sir Temi Zammit identified unpasteurized milk as the major source of the pathogen in 1905, and it has since become known as Malta Fever, or deni rqiq locally. In cattle this disease is also known as contagious abortion and infectious abortion.
The popular name "undulant fever" originates from the characteristic undulance (or "wave-like" nature) of the fever which rises and falls over weeks in untreated patients. In the 20th Century, this name, along with "brucellosis" (after Brucella, named for Dr Bruce), gradually replaced the 19th Century names "Mediterranean fever" and "Malta fever".
Biological warfare
In 1954, B. suis became the first agent weaponized by the U.S. at its Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas. Brucella species survive well in aerosols and resist drying. Brucella and all other remaining biological weapons in the US arsenal were destroyed in 1971-72 when the U.S. offensive biological weapons (BW) program was discontinued. [2]
The United States BW program focused on three agents of the Brucella group:
- Porcine Brucellosis (Agent US)
- Bovine Brucellosis (Agent AB)
- Caprina Brucellosis (Agent AM)
Agent US was in advanced development by the end of the Second World War. When the USAF wanted a biological warfare capability, the Chemical Corps offered agent US in the M114 bomblet, based after the 4-pound bursting bomblet developed for anthrax in the Second World War. Though the capability was developed, operational testing indicated that the weapon was less than desirable, and the USAF termed it an interim capability until replaced by a more effective biological weapon. The main drawbacks of the M114 with agent US was that it was incapacitating (the USAF wanted "killer" agents), the storage stability was too low to allow for storing at forward air bases, and the logistical requirements to neutralize a target were far higher than originally anticipated, requiring unreasonable logistical air support.
Agents US and AB had a median infective dose of 500 org/person, and AM was 300 org/person. The rate-of-action was believed to be 2 weeks, with a duration of action of several months. The lethality estimate was based on epidemiological information at 1 - 2%. AM was always believed to be a more virulent disease, and a 3% fatality rate was expected.
References
- ↑ Wilkinson, Lise (1993). "Brucellosis", In Kiple, Kenneth F. (ed.), The Cambridge World History of Human Disease, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
- ↑ Woods, Lt Col Jon B. (ed.) (April 2005). USAMRIID’s Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook (6th ed. ed.). U.S. Army Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland. p. 53. External link in
|title=(help)