Biological Terrorism Essay -- Terror Terrorists Science Essays

Biological Terrorism I. CATASTROPHIC TERRORISM The date is April 24, 2005. The time is approximately 8:30 am. Somewhere on the New York City subway system a briefcase sits, apparently forgotten. Inside the briefcase, an electronic oscillator flips over, marking the passage of thirtieth minute since its owner abdicated. In the busy subway station no one notices the small hissing noise that is produced as an odorless, tasteless aerosol is slowly released into the air. Within minutes, the pathogen contained in the gas has spread throughout the station, and New York has unwittingly played host to the first recorded incidence of bioterrorism. The first symptoms appear nearly a week later. At first, victims believe they are suffering from the flu, but symptoms quickly progress from fever, rigors and headache to severe chest pain, irregular heartbeat and pustular eruptions. In the absence of treatment, nearly all those infected die within two weeks of the onset of symptoms. 1 Could this really happen? In the above case, glanders (Burkholderia mallei), a pathogen which normally strikes horses and mules, is released by a terroristic individual or group. Glanders was specifically chosen because of its virulence, high mortality rate, stability in aerosol, and ease of cultivation. When symptomatic individuals first arrive, accurate diagnosis will be unlikely; glanders is extremely rare in humans, and it is unlikely that medical personnel will have experience with the disease. Further complicating diagnosis, the pathogen does not appear in blood cultures until the victim is near death. Once diagnosed, medical personnel must take precautions to prevent person-to-person transmissio... ...st accessed 20 November 2000 Clinton, William J. Executive Order 12938: Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, 14 November, 1994 COL Eitzen and others, eds. Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook, Third Edition, Maryland:U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1998. Available from: http://jeffrense.com/political/weapons/biowardoc.htm, April 1999. Last accessed 4 December 2000 Hoffman, Bruce, Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Analysis of Trends and Motivations, California:RAND, 1999 Schelling, Thomas C. Arms and Influence. Virginia: BookCrafters, Inc. 1966 Segaller, Stephen, Invisible Armies, London:Michael Joseph Ltd.:1986 Fyodor Kondrashov, Research Scientist for the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, interview by author, 5 December 2000