J300 History of Public Health
Indiana University
      Bloomington
Spring 2005
Bioterrorism and Me
HOME DISEASES TOXINS TARGETS, DELIVERY, RESPONSES RESOURCES SOURCES
 
 
ABOUT THIS PROJECT

 
On the first day of our class each student discussed how he or she wanted to live a useful life. Some planned to do pro bono work in their occupations, others wanted to train to be physicians or public health experts. Everyone wanted to make a difference. Among topics taken up during the semester were some dealing with public implications of tobacco use, road safety, and biological and chemical weapons, and we also studied how people learn about health issues. When this bioterrorism project was suggested, many students reacted by seeing it as a good first step to begin helping other people. In the discussion about whether the class would actually undertake this project, class members decided that by putting together this pamphlet they would be contributing to one of the goals of public health, which is to educate citizens so that they know ahead of time what choices they can make in an emergency. Here's what we found out about how ordinary people can recognize and deal with hazards posed by bioterrorism.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 
Thanks to the following people for helping us in revising earlier drafts of this booklet:

Joni Albright, MPA formerly Indiana State Assistant Health Commissioner

Rachel Miller Public Health Coordinator Monroe County, Indiana

Kyle A. Perkinson Public Health Coordinator Sullivan County, Indiana

Scott F. Wetterhall, MD, MPH Senior Program Director, RTI International, Atlanta

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And for financial help with printing and distributing this booklet, we want to thank:

John Bodnar Chair History Department

Catherine Larson Dean College of Arts & Sciences

Charlie Nelms Vice President for Student Development and Diversity
 
Introduction
by Jessica Mackey, Julia Thomas, Kyle Carmichael


Chemical and biological warfare --CBW-- has been employed for hundreds, and probably thousands, of years in ways that might now be considered “primitive.” Modern advances in science and technology make warfare by such means a greater threat today. The new CBW weapons are deadlier, and there are now more opportunities for using them. They have been employed occasionally in wars between nations, and more systematically during World War I. Since the 1990s these weapons have also been used by terrorist groups in attacks on their enemies and in attempts to draw attention to their objectives. Biological terrorism --bioterrorism for short-- is one of the main threats of the 21st century because terrorist groups have learned out to obtain and deploy biological and chemical weapons. And America is a likely target for an attack.

Bioterrorism remains for many people an unknown area. The country as a whole needs to take some steps to enhance protection. Since September 11, 2001 much has been done to plan and organize national defenses. These defenses are essential, but they often seem to be at too great a distance from individuals. Individuals, too, need to plan to defend themselves. The goals of this pamphlet are to explain how to recognize what are regarded as the leading bioterrorist threats, and to provide suggestions about what to do in the event of an attack.

Our aim is to inform rather than to alarm. The main premise of this pamphlet is that everyone can learn how to recognize the diseases and toxins likeliest to be used in bioterrorism, and everyone can learn some useful steps to take against each specific disease and toxin.

Early detection of terrorist attacks will save lives, quite dramatically for some agents. That means that individuals need to know how to recognize and detect the weapons of bioterrorism, or at least when to be suspicious that such weapons have been used. And it means getting in touch immediately with local and national authorities.

Bioterrorism is the use of bacteria or viruses or a chemical compound with the intent of making people ill or causing death. These diseases and chemicals can be spread through the air or water, and by direct contact. Following a categorization introduced by the Centers for Disease Control, we distinguish two groups of diseases. Category A diseases are the most dangerous and the likeliest to be used in bioterrorist attacks. Category B diseases are less lethal and are less likely to be used, but they are still considered dangerous disease agents. Terrorists may elect to use biotoxins and chemical weapons as well as diseases, selecting toxins that cause sickness or death in a large proportion of the people who come into contact with them, and which have a more or less immediate effect. The biotoxins, such as ricin, SEB, and T-2, use live organisms to make chemicals. Other weapons are made from chemical agents. There is no sharp dividing line between biotoxins and chemicals.

Each chapter below discusses a particular disease or toxin, or aspects of bioterrorism that concern individuals, such as likely targets, delivery methods, and how to respond. The chapters on diseases and toxins are organized in a way meant to help readers find topics and obtain information quickly.

Many diseases and compounds could be used as weapons. Here we select those that are widely considered the likeliest ones to be used. For a bacteria, virus or chemical compound to threaten us, it must be easily produced and transported, and it must either be powerful enough to affect many people or able to cause disease or injury with unusually small doses. Diseases and agents that are difficult to detect immediately are also attractive for use in bioterrorism. One chapter is devoted to each disease or compound, giving a brief overview. Each chapter explains how to recognize a disease or agent, and what to do with yourself, others, and your belongings if an attack is suspected.

Biological weapons and toxins are appealing to terrorists because such weapons can affect a large number of people and because some of them can be produced with relative ease. A person with limited scientific training may be able to cultivate bacteria or viral agents in a small space without expensive equipment. The production of weapons of this kind is usually easier than making other weapons of mass destruction, such as a nuclear bomb. The quantity of material needed to sicken or kill many people varies from agent to agent, but for the most part more damage can be done with a smaller quantity of a disease or a biological agent than with other types of weaponry.

There are also important disadvantages to using biological weapons. One problem of producing and transporting a biological weapon made from a living organism is that the environment of the weapon must be carefully maintained. Most organisms will not survive exposure to extreme heat or cold, and some do not have a life span long enough for their production, transportation, and delivery as bioterrorist weapons. Another problem that might discourage the use of a bioweapon is the challenge of containing the weapon to one specific area while protecting the attackers. It may be impossible or impractical to prevent the weapon from affecting the very people using it in an attack.

Biological and chemical weapons may or may not threaten Americans in the future; it is impossible to know. We can hope that we never need to use the information in this pamphlet. Still, it is useful to know how to recognize such weapons and how best to protect ourselves in case of an attack. Good understanding of the nature of the threat can help us protect ourselves, our family members, and our friends, and help public health authorities reduce the damage to our community and our nation.