NCJ Number
190874
Date Published
2000
Length
251 pages
Annotation
This book shows why biological terrorism is becoming more likely, and examines the challenges of government response to bioterrorism.
Abstract
The question of if a bioterrorism event will happen has been replaced by the question of when. The allure of the more deadly and frightening biological weapons has grown because the tools of bioterrorism are more accessible. However, the United States is not doing enough to prepare for such an event. Even if the current initiatives were run effectively at the international, Federal, State, and local levels, the country would still fall short of the facilities and therapies needed to protect private citizens around the world against biological agents like anthrax, smallpox, plague, Ebola virus, and other potential tools of bioterrorism. Most antiterrorism programs lump bioterrorism in with what are commonly called weapons of mass destruction – including nuclear devices, bombs, and chemical weapons. But biological weapons are fundamentally different: they are the stealthiest tools of mass destruction ever developed. They can be released silently, with no sign or even smell to announce the act. They can take days or even weeks for the infections they cause to show themselves. The first line of response is the medical community. Early detection and action by medical workers can create the opportunity for a strong response with proper medication, vaccines, and even quarantine measures helping to mitigate the overwhelming damage that a bioterrorist attack will cause. A weak response, however, can amplify the damage and the crisis. The health care, public health, and legal systems would quickly become overwhelmed. Each chapter begins with a portion of a fictional scenario describing what could happen in a bioterrorism attack involving anthrax, a foodborne pathogen, and the highly contagious smallpox. Notes, index