Options for Biological Terrorism Attacks and Epidemiological Responses

Bioterrorism is not a distant threat that may concern us twenty years from now. It has occurred throughout history and continues to this day. As recently as 1996, a man from Ohio with connections to an extremist group was able to obtain Bubonic Plague cultures through the US Postal Service (Danzig & Berkowsky, 1997). In the last month, several people within the United States have become infected with anthrax. As we stand right now, America is unprepared for a large-scale attack with biological weapons, and as we continue with our "War on Terrorism," the likelihood of such an attack is increasing every day. Terrorists can use three major methods to most effectively distribute a biological agent in the US: 1) air dispersal to target humans, 2) contamination of water supplies, and 3) air dispersal to target crops. Once we assess these strategies, we must evaluate and implement effective responses to an attack depending on the dispersal methods used.

Air Dispersal Targeting Humans

The most likely method of bioterrorism is the air dispersal of biological agents against humans. Given the right meteorological conditions, an infective cloud can have drastic consequences on a metropolitan population. Experts estimate that aerosolized Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) spores released from an airplane two kilometers upwind of a population center of 500,000 people could travel more than 20 km and incapacitate or kill 220,000 people (Franz et al, 1997; Danzig & Berkowsky, 1997). An aerosol release would remain virtually undetected until symptoms developed within the population over the following three days. Bacillus anthracis spores, which are capable of surviving adverse environmental conditions, can live in pond ...

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... need to be as absolutely prepared for a biological attack as possible.

Works Cited and Consulted:

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Danzig, R; Berkowsky, P (1997). Why Should We Be Concerned About Biological Warfare? JAMA 278(5):431-2.

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Rogers, P; Whitby, S; Dando, M (1999). Biological Warfare Against Crops. Scientific American 280(6): 70-5.

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