BIOSECURITY AND BIOTERRORISMHOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT ONE
INSTRUCTIONS: Please answer the following in a complete, yet concise, manner
using APA format for your citations and references. Single or double-spacing
for your four or less page response (excluding references) may be used. A
traditional font (e.g. Calibri, Arial, or Times Roman) in an 10 or 11 font size
is preferred. Remember to clearly delineate quotations and paraphrasing
through the use of quotation marks or other conventional methods.
At the graduate school level, primary or government reference sources are
preferred over secondary sources such as Webnews pages, reviews, and
encyclopedias. With respect to Wikipedia: “Mr. Wales [the founder of
Wikipedia] said that he gets about 10 e-mail messages a week from students who
complain that Wikipedia has gotten them into academic hot water. “They say,
‘Please help me. I got an F on my paper because I cited Wikipedia’” and the
information turned out to be wrong, he says. But he said he has no sympathy for
their plight, noting that he thinks to himself: “For God sake, you’re in
college; don’t cite the encyclopedia.” (Young, 2006)
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I. (20%) Using the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA)
document titled “Definitions of Terrorism” found in the Webliography (pdf) or
Class Announcements (link) address the following: International and national
agencies have a difficult time defining the term “terrorism”. Discuss in one
concise paragraph the reason(s) underlying the problem in creating a universal
definition. Then, select a total of two definitions- one definition from each
of two different entities- to illustrate differences and/or similarities
between those definitions.
II. (15%) Having a common set of terms and concepts is important for
communication in any specialized subject , what is the difference between:
a. A bacteria and a virus.
b. Morbidity and mortality.
c. Virulence and pathogenicity.
d. Intoxication and Infection
e. Dissemination and Transmission.
f. A toxin and a poison.
g. A biocrime and bioterrorism.
h. Biodefense and biosecurity.
III. (10%) Prof. Edwards considers Linnean binomial nomenclature extremely
important (she’ll even deduct points) when writing about biological threat
agents and emerging infectious diseases. What is Linnean binomial
nomenclature? Give a total of three examples with correct usage by selecting
one organism each from the Category A, B, or C priority agent list.
IV. (15%) Consider the NIAID definitions for Category A, Category B and
Category C Priority Pathogens. Describe in your own words the differences
between each category. Consider carefully your use of terms such as
dissemination, morbidity, transmission etc and work toward their proper usage
in your short 5-6 line response.
V. (20%) Intentional covert release of a biological threat agent and a sudden
outbreak of an emerging infectious disease (EID) can each have major national
and international ramifications. Yet how does one distinguish between a
bioattack and a naturally occurring epidemic? Compare and contrast the
epidemiological indicators such as disease presentation in a given population,
number of patients, unusual presentations and unusual response to treatment
between a covert bioattack and an EID epidemic. (Google research hint: CDC
.gov epidemiology biologic agent)
VI. (20%) What factors might a terrorist consider when selecting a biological
threat agent for use in an attack?
Reference:
Young, J.R. (2006) Wikipedia founder discourages academic use of his
creation. The Wired Campus.

e-of-his-
creation/2305