DATE=2/19/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42651 (CQ)
TITLE=BIO-TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS CONFERENCE
BYLINE=NELSON BROWN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: NATIONAL POLICY MAKERS AND ACADEMICS IN THE UNITED STATES
ARE INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A TERRORIST
ATTACK USING BIOLOGICAL WARFARE. MOST EXPERTS AGREE THAT THIS
COUNTRY IS NOT PREPARED TO COPE WITH "BIO-TERRORISM."
POLITICAL LEADERS, PHYSICIANS, RESEARCH SCIENTISTS AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO PLAN FOR
SUCH AN ATTACK NOW. V-O-A'S NELSON BROWN HAS MORE.
TEXT: SCIENTISTS SAY RECENT INCIDENTS IN IRAQ, JAPAN AND RUSSIA
HAVE CAST A SHADOW OVER THE WHOLE WORLD. IRAQ IS BELIEVED TO
HAVE WEAPONS THAT CONTAIN CHEMICAL AGENTS LIKE ANTHRAX AND
BOTULISM. A CULT IN JAPAN THAT RELEASED NERVE GAS IN A TOKYO
SUBWAY IN 1995 WAS BELIEVED TO ALSO POSSESS AN ARSENAL OF
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS. AND MILITARY SCIENTISTS IN THE FORMER SOVIET
UNION ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE WORKED ON DEVELOPING WEAPONS USING
SMALLPOX AND OTHER VIRUSES.
A PROMINENT U-S RESEARCH INSTITUTE SAYS IT COULD TAKE DAYS OR
WEEKS TO DETECT A COVERT BIOLOGICAL ATTACK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE NEWLY-FORMED JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR CIVILIAN BIODEFENSE
STUDIES, ALONG WITH GOVERNMENT AND OTHER PRIVATE AGENCIES,
RECENTLY SPONSORED A NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON WHAT TO DO IN THE
EVENT OF AN ATTACK.
// OPT // HUNDREDS OF SCIENTISTS, POLICY MAKERS AND OTHER
ACADEMICS FROM AROUND THE UNITED STATES AND SEVERAL FOREIGN
COUNTRIES ATTENDED THE SYMPOSIUM JUST OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON, D-C.
// END OPT //
JOHNS HOPKINS BIODEFENSE MEDICAL RESEARCHER PHILIP RUSSELL SAYS
THE BIGGEST THREATS COME FROM THE POSSIBLE RELEASE OF TWO OF THE
MOST FEARED INFECTIOUS DISEASES -- ANTHRAX AND SMALLPOX.
// FIRST RUSSELL ACT //
THE RELEASE OF THE SMALLPOX VIRUS BY A TERRORIST GROUP
COULD BE A GLOBAL CATASTROPHE. AN UNCHECKED EPIDEMIC IN
TODAY'S UN-VACCINATED DENSELY-PACKED URBAN POPULATION,
LINKED TOGETHER BY RAPID AIR TRAVEL COULD KILL MILLIONS.
AND THE ONLY POSSIBLE COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO MOUNT
A GLOBAL EFFORT TO CONTROL THE SPREAD AND ERADICATE THE
DISEASE USING THE VACCINIA VIRUS VACCINE.
// END ACT //
DR. RUSSELL PREDICTS THAT THE NUMBER OF DEATHS THAT OCCUR AFTER
SUCH A VIRAL ATTACK WOULD BE DETERMINED BY A NUMBER OF FACTORS,
INCLUDING: THE SPEED OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE, THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VACCINATION CAMPAIGN, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,
THE AVAILABILITY AND STOCKPILE OF THE SMALLPOX VACCINE. HE SAYS
THE CURRENT STOCKPILE OF SEVEN MILLION DOSES IS INSUFFICIENT TO
MEET NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEEDS.
// OPT // AN OFFICIAL AT THE U-S CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND
PREVENTION, DR. SCOTT LILLIBRIDGE, SAYS THERE IS A SIMPLE REASON
WHY THE CURRENT STOCKPILE OF THE SMALLPOX VACCINE IS RELATIVELY
SMALL. IT IS BECAUSE SMALLPOX HAS BEEN ERADICATED IN THE
POPULATION, SO THE THREAT IT POSES HAS BEEN A LOW PRIORITY IN THE
MEDICAL COMMUNITY.
// LILLIBRIDGE ACT -- OPT //
IT HASN'T BEEN A PERCEIVED AS A MAJOR THREAT UNTIL
LATELY. WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT
GEARING UP AND INVESTING IN STOCKPILING, INCLUDING
SMALLPOX VACCINE AND WORKING WITH THE GROUPS THAT ARE
LOOKING INTO THAT.
// END ACT -- END OPT //
SOME EXPERTS BELIEVE THE MOST LIKELY ATTACK SCENARIO WOULD
INVOLVE THE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS, YET COLORLESS AND ODORLESS,
ANTHRAX VIRUS, WHICH WOULD ONLY BE DETECTED AFTER PEOPLE STARTED
GETTING SICK. JOHNS HOPKINS' DR. RUSSELL:
// SECOND RUSSELL ACT //
IF THE RELEASE IS DETECTED AND THE FIRST CASE IS RAPIDLY
DIAGNOSED, PROVIDING THE EXPOSED POPULATION WITH
ANTIBIOTICS FOLLOWED BY VACCINATION, THAT COULD BE
LIFE-SAVING FOR MANY EXPOSED INDIVIDUALS WHO OTHERWISE
WOULD COME DOWN WITH UNTREATABLE INHALATION ANTHRAX OVER
SEVERAL WEEKS.
// END ACT //
ANOTHER PROMINENT SCIENTIST SAYS HE HAS LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THE
POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF A BIO-TERRORISM ATTACK FROM HIS WORK ON
PLAGUES OR OUTBREAKS IN INDIA, THE FORMER ZAIRE AND HONG KONG.
DR. JAMES HUGHES OF THE U-S CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND
PREVENTION SAYS COMPLACENCY MUST BE AVOIDED.
// HUGHES ACT //
WE NEED TO BE CERTAIN THAT SURVEILLANCE CAPACITY IS IN
PLACE, THAT WE HAVE THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND LABORATORY
CAPACITY IN PUB HEALTH LABS AND CLINICAL LABS REQUIRED
TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES. WE'VE ALSO LEARNED ABOUT THE
DISRUPTIONS IN TRAVEL AND COMMERCE THAT THESE COMPLEX
OUTBREAKS CAN INDEED CAUSE AND WE'VE RECOGNIZED THE
NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS THAT THEY OFTEN POSE.
// END ACT //
EXPERTS ON BIO-TERRORISM AGREE THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY NO
EFFECTIVE STRATEGY AMONG THE VARIOUS NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL
AGENCIES THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED TO ACT IN RESPONSE TO AN ATTACK.
THEY ARE CALLING FOR INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO INCREASE THE VACCINE STOCKPILES AND URGENTLY DEVELOP A PLAN TO
SHARE VACCINES WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. (SIGNED)
NEB/NCB/JO
19-Feb-99 4:02 PM EST (2102 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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