Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) News
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Top US biologists oppose biodefence boom 11:38 01 March 2005, NewScientist.com news service Efforts to defend the US against bioterrorists - by throwing money at research - are backfiring, says a 750-strong group of top scientists. The US has poured billions of dollars into biodefence research since its anthrax attacks in 2001. More than half of the US scientists studying bacterial diseases have this week written to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) - their main funding agency - charging that the largess has created "a crisis for microbiological research". The Great Melting Pot of Domestic Preparedness What
We Learn About Radiation Threats from Movies—Fact or Fiction Telling the story of a dirty bomb in film or on television creates challenges for the writers and for audiences. Because of the immediacy of the film medium, scientific and medical facts have to be dramatized, leaving the audience with some very real misconceptions and questions about the type of threat posed by a dirty bomb. If the movie, Dirty War, made you wonder about dirty bombs and how to protect yourself and your loved ones in case of a radiation threat, this CDC site will direct you to some answers. 'Nuclear Proliferation The technology to make nuclear weapons has become easier to get and easier to hide, scientists have been caught trading in nuclear secrets, and many say the treaties written to stop the spread of warheads around the globe are now out of date. News@nature.com tells the story of how we ended up at this nuclear 'tipping point', where our actions in the next few years will determine whether we sink into a second wave of nuclear proliferation. Our reporters dig into the politics behind nuclear ambitions in the Middle East and visit stockpiles of fissile material in Russia now under lock and key. And we canvass the arms-control community to find out how bad the current situation is; and how nuclear materials can be kept in check. Don't mass vaccinate' against anthrax Nature.com, 15 December 2004 Rapid detection and response best for beating terrorists, say experts. UT Southwestern initiating trials in humans for ricin vaccine DALLAS - Nov. 30, 2004 - A potential vaccine for the deadly toxin ricin, a "Category B" biological agent, will enter the first phase of clinical testing in coming weeks at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. FDA Approves Drugs to Treat Internal Contamination from Radioactive Elements FDA, 11 August 2004 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of two drugs, pentetate calcium trisodium injection (Ca-DTPA) and pentetate zinc trisodium injection (Zn-DTPA) for treating certain kinds of radiation contamination. The FDA is approving these two drugs as part of its ongoing effort to provide the American public the best available protection against nuclear accidents and terrorist threats. Advanced Bioterrorism Triage Algorithm: Handling the Critical First Encounter with Victims of Terror Attacks Academic Emergency Medicine Volume 11, Number 8 900-901, 2004 CDC Makes Advances in Identifying and Measuring Chemical Agents in Humans CDC.gov, 28 July 2004 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Journal of Analytical Toxicology have collaborated on a special edition of the journal devoted to assessing human exposure to chemical agents. The edition, released today, highlights new methods using state-of-the-art instruments to measure low-level exposure to chemicals, including, those that might be used by terrorists, such as nerve agents, sulfur mustard agents, and cyanide compounds, and provides detailed animal-exposure information and reference values for assessing potential human exposure. Terror Family SciCentral News, 23 July 2004 The Olympics are weeks away and organizers are scuttling to further tighten security. Researchers say terrorist groups are doing organizing of their own, using a trait found in evolution to train suicide bombers. Anthrax outbreak kills wild chimps Nature.com, 21 July 2004 Anthrax has killed at least six wild chimpanzees in the tropical rainforest of the Ivory Coast - the first time the disease has been seen in these animals and in this type of habitat. As well as threatening great ape populations, the discovery raises fears that the disease could spread to humans through the illegal trade in bushmeat. Biologists seek to revamp biowarfare register Nature 430, 388 22 July 2004 [NEW YORK] A rebellion is brewing among US scientists who handle pathogens that could be used in biological warfare. The official list of hazardous bacteria, viruses and toxins is so frustrating to some microbiologists that they are trying to rationalize it. Emerging Infectious Disease Journal Article: Estimating Time and Size of Bioterror Attack CDC/Emerging Infectious Diseases July 2004. This article presents a Bayesian approach to estimating the details of a bioterror attack for use in real time, and is illustrated using data from a simulated anthrax attack. Protecting Emergency Responders Volume 3: Safety Management in Disaster and Terrorism Response Brian A. Jackson, John C. Baker, M. Susan Ridgely, James T. Bartis, Herbert I. Linn; The Rand Corporation A study released by the Rand Corporation calls for improving functional capabilities to protect responders and improving the organizational structures needed to manage major disasters. Risk of radioactive "dirty bomb" growing The risk of somebody somewhere triggering a radioactive "dirty bomb" is growing, evidence gathered by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency suggests. The IAEA's records, which it has released to New Scientist , show a dramatic rise in the level of smuggling of radiological materials, defined as radioactive sources that could be used in dirty bombs but not nuclear bombs. NewScientist, 2 June 2004 Dirty bomb dust proves deadly Mortality estimates have ignored results of inhaling fallout. Nature Science Update, 5 May 2004 Computers Combat Disease: New Modeling Grants Target Epidemics, Bioterror N.I.H., May 4 2004 A new initiative harnesses our nation's computing skill to enhance our ability to respond to disease epidemics and bioterrorism. US unprepared for dirty-bomb attacks Nature Science Update, 26 April 2004 The United States is ill prepared to deal with the long term aftermath of a 'dirty-bomb' terrorist attack, say analysts. They warn that existing clean-up laws and regulations covering radioactive materials were not designed with dirty bombs in mind, and give conflicting recommendations. Mouse Model Mimics Real-World Plague Infection N.I.H. March 24 2004 An experimental plague vaccine proved 100 percent effective when tested in a new mouse model for plague infection Ricin vaccine protects mice from poisoning Nature, 15 March 2004 Skin patch could offer simple treatment route Alarm Cells ScieCentral News, March 11, 2004 While our ability to detect bio-terror agents is improving, most detectors look for specific germs or toxins. But what if terrorists released some new, unknown agent? ScienCentral News reports on a new device designed to detect unknown threats. Update: Adverse Events Following Civilian Smallpox Vaccination --- United States, 2003. MMWR Weekly, 13 Feb 2004 Secondary and Tertiary Transfer of Vaccinia Virus Among U.S. Military Personnel --- United States and Worldwide, 2002--2004. MMWR Weekly, 13 Feb 2004 Recognition, Management and Surveillance of Ricin- Associated Illness, Webcast Script, December 30, 2003. From the CDC website. U.S. crackdown on bioterror is backfiring (NewScientist November 2003) NewScientist contacted 20 prominent figures in the U.S., working in bioterror-related fields. Some scientists refused to talk, some are refusing to work on projects involving agents that could be exploited as bioweapons. US
develops lethal new viruses (NewScientist October 2003)
A scientist funded by the US government has deliberately created an extremely deadly form of mousepox, a relative of the smallpox virus. Are
Local Health Responders Ready for Biological and Chemical Terrorism?
Are local public health agencies and our nation's hospitals (both public and private) prepared to deal with biological or chemical terrorism? Just prior to the September 11 attacks, RAND completed a nationwide survey of state and local response organizations. In this issue paper, the authors discuss some of the results for city and county ("local") public health departments and general acute care hospitals (both public and private). The authors find that, to have an effective public health and medical response to a terrorist attack, more-effective planning is needed at the local level. Dark
Winter - Bioterrorism Exercise (June 2001) pdf
On 22-23 June 2001, the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies, in collaboration with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Analytic Services Institute for Homeland Security, and the Oklahoma National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, held a senior-level exercise entitled" Dark Winter" that simulated a covert smallpox attack on the United States. The first such exercise of its kind, Dark Winter was constructed to examine the challenges that senior-level policy makers would face if confronted with a bioterrorist attack that initiated outbreaks of highly contagious disease. The exercise was intended to increase awareness of the scope and character of the threat posed by biological weapons among senior national security experts and to bring about actions that would improve prevention and response strategies Shining
Light on "Dark Winter" Evaluation
of a Chemical Warfare Victim
The US government has determined that the likelihood of a terrorist attack within the United States is increasing. This has prompted governmental domestic preparedness training initiatives targeted at physicians and other healthcare providers in the areas of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare. This article focuses on the initial approach to the chemical warfare victim. (January 9 2003) The Gathering Biological Warfare Storm
United States Air Force Counterproliferation Center Protecting
Emergency Responders: Lessons Learned from Terrorist Attacks
At the World Trade Center, 450 emergency responders perished while responding to the terrorist attacks—about one-sixth of the total number of victims. Hundreds more were seriously injured. In this light, the terrorist events are also forcing emergency responders to reconsider the equipment and practices they use to protect themselves in the line of duty. This is another study published by the RAND Science and Technology Policy Institute. Tampa,
Florida Fire Rescue's Smallpox vaccination experience
As the vaccination program began, 18 Tampa Fire Rescue personnel — 15 firefighter/paramedics and the occupational health staff — were sworn in as volunteer health department workers and given the smallpox vaccination. Education of emergency responders seems to be key in protecting them as they protect the public. As recently as a few months ago most members of Tampa Fire Rescue had little to no knowledge of smallpox, the vaccination process or its consequences. Now many members of the department have gleaned the knowledge.
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