CDC: History of Bioterrorism

Summary

This script delves into the history and potential of bioterrorism, highlighting the evolution of biological warfare from ancient times to modern concerns. It discusses the use of diseases like anthrax, plague, and smallpox as weapons, the development of bioweapons by various nations, and the importance of public awareness and preparedness. The script emphasizes the lethal nature of biological agents and the need for vigilance against bioterrorism threats.

Takeaways

• 🕵️ Terrorism has evolved to include bioterrorism, which utilizes dangerous pathogens as weapons.
• 🛡 The immediate effects of chemical or radiation attacks differ from the delayed impact of bioterrorism, which can go unnoticed for hours or days.
• 📚 The CDC categorizes diseases by their potential impact on bioterrorism into categories A, B, and C, with category A being the most severe.
• 🌐 The US government has implemented preparedness and response plans, which can be found on websites like wwr ad gov.
• 🧬 Historically, biological warfare has been conducted by various nations, including Japan's Unit 731 and the UK's anthrax trials on Gruinard Island.
• 🇺🇸 The United States once had an offensive biological program, weaponizing several agents, but renounced the use of biological weapons under President Nixon in 1969.
• 🤧 The Soviet Union maintained a large-scale, secret biological warfare program despite signing the Biological Warfare Convention.
• 🦠 Iraq admitted to producing and weaponizing anthrax, highlighting the potential for state-sponsored bioterrorism.
• 🚨 The anthrax attacks in the US in 2001 demonstrated the real-world danger of bioterrorism, with 22 people sickened and 5 deaths.
• 📈 The threat of bioterrorism is increasing, with knowledge and preparedness being the best defense against such attacks.
• 🌐 The global nature of disease and the ease of travel increase the risk of bioterrorism, as seen with diseases like SARS and monkeypox.

Q & A

What is bioterrorism?

Bioterrorism is a form of terrorism that involves the intentional use of biological agents, such as viruses, bacteria, or other germs, to cause illness or death in humans, animals, or plants.

How do the effects of a bioterrorism attack differ from those of a chemical or radiological attack?

The effects of a chemical or radiological attack are typically immediate, necessitating a rapid response. In contrast, the effects of a bioterrorism attack may not be apparent for hours or even days, allowing the disease to spread undetected before it is recognized.

What are Category A diseases according to the CDC?

Category A diseases are those that are considered the highest risk to national security because they can be easily disseminated or transmitted, result in high morbidity and mortality rates, and require specific public health response strategies. Examples include smallpox, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Why were biological warfare research programs developed in the 1930s?

Biological warfare research programs were developed in the 1930s due to the perceived military advantages of using disease as a weapon. Countries like Japan and the Soviet Union had active offensive bio warfare research programs, leading to the development of sophisticated and extensive capabilities.

What was the significance of the anthrax attacks in the United States in 2001?

The anthrax attacks in 2001 were significant because they demonstrated the potential for bioterrorism to cause widespread fear and disruption. The attacks involved mailing anthrax spores, leading to 22 illnesses and 5 deaths, and highlighted the need for public health preparedness and response to bioterrorism.

Why did the United States renounce the use of biological weapons in 1969?

The United States renounced the use of biological weapons in 1969 under President Richard Nixon as a part of a broader policy to promote international peace and security, and to set an example for other nations in the non-use of such weapons.

What is the role of the website ready.gov in the context of bioterrorism preparedness?

The website ready.gov serves as a resource for preparedness information, providing detailed guidelines, facts, and recommendations on what individuals and communities can do to prepare for and respond to bioterrorism threats and other emergencies.

How did the use of plague as a biological weapon evolve over time?

The use of plague as a biological weapon evolved from early attempts to infect fleas and drop them over cities, to more sophisticated methods such as the development of ceramic bombs loaded with infected fleas. Later, research focused on overcoming challenges like maintaining virulence in large quantities and controlling the spread of the disease.

What is the potential threat of botulinum toxin as a biological weapon?

Botulinum toxin is the most lethal substance known to man, and its potential as a biological weapon lies in its ability to cause widespread illness and death with even a small amount. It can be used to contaminate food supplies or be dispersed in an aerosol form, though its effectiveness in open-air dissemination is limited.

How do viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola, pose a threat in the context of bioterrorism?

Viral hemorrhagic fevers pose a significant threat in bioterrorism due to their high mortality rates, ease of transmission, and potential to cause panic and social disruption. An attack using these viruses could result in mass illness and many deaths, especially in densely populated areas.

What is the significance of tularemia as a potential biological weapon?

Tularemia is significant as a potential biological weapon because it is highly infectious, can be spread through various means including air, food, and water, and does not require many organisms to infect a person. Its potential for causing large-scale illness and the difficulty in controlling its spread make it a concern for bioterrorism.

Outlines

00:00

🛡️ Bioterrorism and CDC Preparedness

This paragraph discusses the threat of bioterrorism, which involves the use of disease-causing germs like viruses and bacteria. It emphasizes the importance of vigilance and preparedness, referencing the CDC's categorization of diseases and the historical use of diseases as weapons. The paragraph also mentions the U.S. government's response to bioterrorism threats, including the development of preparedness and response plans available on government websites.

05:04

🧪 Historical Biowarfare and Its Consequences

The second paragraph delves into the history of biological warfare, highlighting the Japanese Unit 731's inhumane experiments and the development of biowarfare programs by the Allies and the Soviet Union. It discusses the British anthrax trials on Gruinard Island and the U.S. offensive biological program at Camp Detrick, which led to the weaponization of several agents. The paragraph concludes with President Nixon's renouncement of biological weapons and the subsequent dismantling of the U.S. biowarfare program.

10:06

🦠 The Perils of Plague as a Biological Weapon

This paragraph focuses on the use of plague as a biological weapon, from its historical deployment by the Tartar army to its study by the Japanese Imperial Unit 731 and the Soviet Union. It discusses the challenges of weaponizing plague due to its contagious nature and the potential for it to affect not only enemy forces but also friendly forces. The paragraph also touches on the concerns about the availability of plague cultures and the potential for its use by terrorists.

15:07

🤒 Smallpox: A Weapon of the Past and Present

The fourth paragraph examines the history of smallpox as a biological weapon, from its use during the French and Indian War to the Soviet Union's development of smallpox as a weapon. It discusses the irony of smallpox's potential resurgence as a threat due to the cessation of vaccinations following its eradication. The paragraph also highlights the ease with which hemorrhagic fever viruses like Ebola can spread and the importance of preparedness against such diseases.

20:08

😷 Tularemia: A Lesser-Known Bioterrorism Threat

This paragraph introduces tularemia, a disease that primarily affects small animals but has been studied as a potential biological weapon. It outlines the various ways in which humans can contract the disease and its potential use in bioterrorism due to its ability to contaminate food and water. The paragraph also mentions historical instances of tularemia use in biological warfare and the importance of early recognition and response to prevent a large-scale outbreak.

25:09

🚨 The Threat of Botulinum Toxin and Hemorrhagic Fevers

The final paragraph discusses the dangers of botulinum toxin, one of the most lethal substances known, and its potential use in bioterrorism. It also covers the threat posed by viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola, which can cause devastating outbreaks and have been developed as weapons. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and vigilance to prevent and respond to bioterrorism threats involving these agents.

Keywords

💡Bioterrorism

Bioterrorism refers to the deliberate use of biological agents such as viruses, bacteria, or toxins to intimidate or harm a population. In the video, it is highlighted as a form of terrorism that can be as devastating as attacks using weapons of mass destruction. The script mentions that bioterrorism can involve silent attacks that may not be immediately detected, unlike chemical or radiological attacks.

💡Category A Diseases

Category A Diseases are those that pose the highest risk to national security because they can be easily disseminated or transmitted person-to-person, result in high mortality rates, and potentially cause public panic and social disruption. The video script discusses the CDC's categorization of diseases like smallpox, anthrax, and botulism as Category A, which if used in bioterrorism, could cause significant illness and death.

💡Anthrax

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It is mentioned in the script as a biological agent that has been used both historically and in modern times for warfare and bioterrorism. The video describes the potential for anthrax spores to be spread through the air or water, and its role in a bioterrorism attack in the United States in 2001.

💡Biological Warfare

Biological Warfare is the use of biological toxins or organisms as weapons to harm or kill humans or animals. The script provides historical context, such as the Japanese Imperial Unit 731's experiments and the British and American research programs during World War II, to illustrate the development and use of biological agents in warfare.

💡Sverdlovsk Anthrax Leak

The Sverdlovsk Anthrax Leak refers to an accidental release of anthrax spores from a military research facility in Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union, in 1979. The video script uses this incident to underscore the real-world consequences of biological weapon accidents and the potential for such events to cause significant harm to public health.

💡Plague

Plague is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is discussed in the video as a disease that has been historically used in warfare and could be a candidate for bioterrorism due to its contagious nature and rapid spread. The script mentions the use of plague by the Japanese in biological warfare and the challenges faced by the US in weaponizing it.

💡Smallpox

Smallpox is a contagious and often deadly disease caused by the variola virus. The video script describes its historical use as a biological weapon, such as during the French and Indian War, and the irony that the global eradication of smallpox and cessation of vaccinations have made it a potential threat for bioterrorism again.

💡Botulinum Toxin

Botulinum Toxin is one of the most lethal substances known and is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The video script explains its potential as a biological weapon due to its high lethality and mentions its use in assassination attempts and its development by various nations, including Iraq.

💡Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers are a group of illnesses caused by several families of viruses that affect the body's blood vessels and cause bleeding. The script discusses the viruses causing these fevers, such as Ebola and Marburg, as potential biological weapons due to their high mortality rate and ease of transmission.

💡Tularemia

Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is a disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. The video script describes its potential as a biological weapon due to its ability to infect through various means and its inclusion in the US biological weapons program. It also mentions the concerns about its use in bioterrorism.

Highlights

Terrorism has evolved to include bioterrorism, using dangerous disease-causing germs as weapons.

Bioterrorism can be silent, with the effects of a disease-causing germ attack potentially going unnoticed for hours or days.

The CDC categorizes diseases into categories A, B, and C based on their potential use in bioterrorism.

Category A diseases, such as smallpox and anthrax, are considered the most serious threats.

Historical use of disease as a weapon dates back to the Middle Ages, including the use of plague-infected corpses.

The Japanese Unit 731 conducted inhumane experiments using disease-causing agents during World War II.

The United States and the Soviet Union both had extensive biowarfare programs, despite signing the Biological Warfare Convention.

The accidental release of anthrax in Sverdlovsk in 1979 confirmed the dangers of bioterrorism.

Iraq admitted to producing and weaponizing anthrax, highlighting the potential for state-sponsored bioterrorism.

The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States demonstrated the real-world impact of bioterrorism.

Botulinum toxin is recognized as the most lethal substance known to man, with potential use in bioterrorism.

Hemorrhagic fever viruses, such as Ebola, are of great concern due to their high mortality rate and potential for rapid spread.

Tularemia, a bacteria affecting small animals, has been studied as a potential biological weapon due to its infectivity.

The Soviet Union's bioweapon program was massive, employing thousands and maintaining large stockpiles of agents like plague.

Smallpox, eradicated in the 1970s, remains a potential bioterrorism threat due to the discontinuation of vaccinations.

The US government has implemented preparedness and response plans for bioterrorism, available on websites like ready.gov.

Knowledge and preparation are key defenses against bioterrorism, with resources available for public education.

Transcripts

terrorism never before in our history

has the need for watchfulness been so

great terrorism is not only an attack

using weapons of mass destruction or

chemicals but also includes weapons of

viruses bacteria and other germs this

form of terrorism is called bioterrorism

the effects of an attack using chemicals

or radiation would be immediate and

therefore need to be acted upon quickly

but many critical hours or even days

could silently go by before we might

know about the devastating effects of an

attack using a dangerous disease-causing

germs

the diseases that could be used by

terrorists are divided into different

categories a through C the videos you

will find on the CDC website describe

the category a diseases which include

smallpox anthrax botulism play tularemia

and viral hemorrhagic fevers if these

germs were used to intentionally infect

people they would cause the most illness

and death some of them can be spread

through air others can be spread through

water or food supplies diseases such as

plague and smallpox were long ago used

as weapons by mankind

more recently anthrax was intentionally

used in the United States leading to

several deaths and creating widespread

panic you do not need to live your life

in constant fear of bioterrorism attacks

remaining vigilant means being prepared

the United States government has taken

important measures to put into place

preparedness and response plans these

plans can be found on websites such as

wwr ad gov at the end of this

presentation you will find local and

national contact information on being

prepared as well as information about

bioterrorism

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the idea of using disease as a weapon

gained a new level of sophistication in

the early 1930s as nationally funded

research programs on biological warfare

were developed the Japanese had a very

active offensive bio warfare research

program which included a battalion known

as 731 in their program the Japanese

conducted experiments on humans using 15

to 20 different disease-causing agents

with anthrax being one of their

favorites Allied prisoners of war and

innocent Manchurian civilians in nearby

villages provided an almost endless

supply of experimental subjects when

word of unit 731 leaked to the west

Allied forces began their own programs

concern that Japan and possibly Germany

would gain a military advantage in bio

warfare research on the third day Africa

so that the casualties begin dead sheep

can be seen further down the line it is

of course necessary to confirm that

they've died of anthrax in 1942 on

grannard island off the coast of

Scotland the British conducted their

first scientifically controlled bio

warfare field trials scientists exploded

anthrax bombs near immobilized sheep to

determine if the spores would survive an

explosion and retain the ability to

infect anyone nearby test results showed

that anthrax could in fact be

effectively dispersed by explosive

devices and could also remain viable in

the soil for decades this brought home

the realization that if an anthrax bomb

were dropped on a city like London the

results could have been catastrophic

granny Rhode Island was declared

off-limits until it was decontaminated

in the 1980s it's now safe for both

humans and animals

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like our allies the United States

responded to the perceived threats from

Germany and Japan in 1943 we began an

offensive biological program with a

modest research and development facility

at Camp Eric which is now Fort Detrick

Maryland by the end of the program we

had weaponized a total of seven

incapacitating or lethal human agents

including anthrax in 1969 Richard Nixon

renounced the use of biological weapons

for the United States I have decided

that the United States of America will

renounce the use of any form of deadly

biological weapons that either kill or

incapacitate President Nixon visited

Fort Detrick on the 25th of November

1969

I remember that date quite well because

following his announcement of taking

munitions and beating him to plow sheds

we all lost our job and that was a very

traumatic experience but following his

presidential announcement on the this

date the the entire United States

offensive program on biological warfare

came to a close within two years we

destroyed all of our seed stocks we

destroyed all of our production material

at Pine Bluff Arkansas and we completely

got out of the biological warfare

business even at its peak the u.s.

offensive program paled compared to the

Soviet Union's the Soviets had a massive

extensive sophisticated top-secret

program which employed tens of thousands

of scientists and engineers in numerous

research and production facilities the

Soviets signed the biological warfare

convention in the 1970s and yet their

program continued uninterrupted and in

fact intensified

our worst fears were confirmed in 1979

when an accidental release of anthrax

occurred at a biological research

facility in the town of Sverdlovsk much

of our recent knowledge about their

joint military and civilian program

comes from a Soviet defector dr. Ken Ali

Bek formerly known as dr. Kinison Ali

Bekoff he was the deputy director of bio

prepare a cover organization for the

civilian bio weapon and production

facilities although we had suspected for

years that they had continued their

offensive program some of the

information he provided was a real

wake-up call for the United States prior

to the Gulf War the intelligence

community suspected that the Iraqis had

done research on anthrax but they didn't

know just how extensive their program

was so as a precautionary measure during

the war about 150,000 US service members

were vaccinated against anthrax and more

would have been immunized if the war

hadn't ended so quickly after the war

the Iraqis admitted to producing and

weaponizing anthrax

although the weapons were never used

this past decade anthrax moved from

being an agent of concern for biological

warfare to the top of the threat list

for terrorism the armory qiyam truth

cult in Japan which released the nerve

agent sarin from the Tokyo subway in

1995 allegedly made multiple

unsuccessful attempts to infect people

with anthrax in October of 2001 the

United States experienced anthrax

attacks using powders sent through the

United States Postal Service 22 people

got sick and five people died from this

attack we learned just how dangerous

anthrax could be but there are things we

can do the best defense against the

bioterrorism attack is knowledge and

preparation the webpage ready.gov is a

good resource for preparedness

information it can be found at WWE gov

visit this webpage for detailed

guidelines facts and what you can do to

be ready in the event of

an emergency a small amount of time

spent becoming informed developing a

plan and preparing yourself against

terrorist threats now can prove to be

invaluable should the need arise don't

be afraid be ready

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man has used organisms found in nature

to kill or disable his enemies since the

Middle Ages one of the earlier examples

occurred in the 14th century when the

Tartar army laid siege to kapha a walled

city along the Black Sea when an

outbreak of bubonic plague began to

ravage the Tartars they decided to

catapult the plague-ridden corpses into

the city thereby helping to start an

outbreak within the walls shortly

thereafter the Genoese defenders within

the city were stricken with plague and

fled to Italy they carried this

infection with them to Europe beginning

the outbreak of a horrible black death

which decimated the European population

[Music]

with our current knowledge of the

epidemiology of plague

we know that fleas leave a body quickly

after it cools therefore it's most

likely that the outbreak was actually

spread in kapha

by flea infested rats which were already

within the city the Japanese Imperial

unit 731 operated in the 1930s and 40s

when Japan was mobilized and ready for

war general Shiro Ishii mastermind of

this terrible program had a mission to

turn illness into weapons of murder he

was particularly fascinated by play

because with plague a biological warfare

attack could present like a natural

epidemic person to person spread could

then produce disease out of proportion

to the original amount of agent used the

Japanese were unable to disseminate

plague by the aerosol or in the water

supply

so they used nature's vector for

spreading the disease the common flea

ceramic bombs loaded with infected fleas

were dropped over several cities in

mainland

causing large outbreaks among their

population plague is attractive as a

weapon because it generates fear it

spreads easily and it kills very quickly

the United States offensive program did

some research on play but it was never

fully weaponized in this country we

could not overcome the challenge of

maintaining virulence when it was grown

in large quantities it's it's a weapon

that you know it's a contagious agent

and we felt that in retrospect that we

had enough problems controlling an

aerosol under meteorological conditions

that can change without having an

organism that is so contagious so that

you know you don't you're not able to

control where that organism might end up

it might come back to bite you not only

bite your forces but some of your

friendly Allied forces also plague was

however a favorite organism in the

Soviet Arsenal because of its

communicability the Soviets overcame the

virulence problems experienced by the US

according to interviews with the Soviet

defector dr. Ally back they had 1500

metric tons of plague on hand at any

given time and kept it ready for use in

their intercontinental ballistic

missiles due to storage problems they

frequently recycled their stockpile of

plague with fresh agent we're very

concerned about terrorists use of plague

because the agent is found not only in

nature but also in numerous biological

supply houses throughout the world

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before the discovery of the smallpox

vaccine smallpox was in fact used as a

weapon one of the best documented

examples of this occurred during the

French and Indian War the British had

been defeated in their attempt to

conquer Fort carrion on Lake Champlain

so Sir Geoffrey Amherst commander the

British forces met with Indians who were

sympathetic to the French under the

pretense of friendship he deliberately

offered them blankets previously used by

smallpox victims the Indians who act

immunity to smallpox suffered a

devastating outbreak of the disease the

English were then able to successfully

attack the fort which by the way was

renamed Fort Ticonderoga military forces

have also been devastated by endemic

smallpox during the siege of Quebec

George Washington's troops suffered

massive losses from smallpox he

subsequently required all new recruits

to be inoculated against the virus I'd

like to comment for a few minutes on the

Soviet program and their development of

smallpox morale a major they first

worked with smallpox and imitated

chicken eggs and since a very small

amount of material is produced in the

egg you can imagine the large numbers of

eggs that were required to produce 100

metric tons of raw agent now as their

program advanced and are starting in the

early nineties they were using tissue

culture as a means of generating the

virus but 100 metric tons loaded into an

ICBM aimed at our major cities is cause

for worry it's incredibly ironic that

the great Public Health triumphs of

eradicating smallpox in the 1970

and the discontinuation of worldwide

vaccinations have opened the door for

this virus to be once again used as a

weapon

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botulinum toxin is the most lethal

substance known to man so it's potential

as a weapon was appreciated early on

supporters of Pancho via may have used

botulinum against Mexican federales in

1910 while the details are unclear it's

been said that they left behind recipes

where they actually buried pork and

green beans for several days they then

dug up this horrible concoction and used

it to contaminate food and they also

smeared it on sharp instruments that

they used as weapons during the Second

World War intelligence reports indicated

that the Germans were developing

botulinum toxin as a cross English

Channel weapon to be used against

invasion forces in light of this it's

ironic that a hand grenade filled with

botulinum toxins may have been used by

Czech Patriots who were trained and

equipped by the British to assassinate

Reinhard Heydrich

head of the Nazi Gestapo in 1942

inconclusive reports suggested that he

died from the effects of the toxin

rather than injuries sustained from the

shrapnel the United States interest in

botulinum toxins may have grown in part

at our suspicions about the alleged

German program the Soviets studied

botulinum as well well the u.s. actually

developed botulinum is one of the lethal

agents in its arsenal but the United

States and the Soviets ultimately gave

botulinum a lower level of priority

botulinum usefulness for dissemination

over large areas was inferior to that of

other agents like anthrax in tularemia

botulinum appears to have been Saddam

Hussein's favorite biological weapon

according to United Nations documents

Iraq produced 19,000 liters of liquid

botulinum toxins and 8,500 litres of

liquid anthrax much of this was loaded

into bombs and Saddam was apparently

fully prepared to use these weapons

obtaining the bacterial cultures for

production of botulinum toxins was

unfortunately relatively uses of the

Iraqis the Iraqis got the culture that

they use for weaponization from a supply

house in the United States and they

selected the same culture that we

weaponized back in the 40s and early 50s

so we by getting this culture from the

supply house we saved them a lot of time

and energy and effort because they would

didn't they didn't have to go out and

search for a very strong toxin producer

botulinum toxins aren't great open-air

biological warfare weapons because of

their limited range and relative and

stability but terrorists could

potentially use the toxins effectively

in enclosed areas or to contaminate food

supplies

[Music]

Ebola strikes fear in the hearts of

people who hear the word movies have

been made about the dreadful outcome of

becoming infected with Ebola but it's

just one of several deadly hemorrhagic

fever viruses that can be used as a

weapon against mankind there are many

types of viruses in the world some more

deadly than others some viruses cause

mild colds while other viruses cause

severe illness and death the viral

hemorrhagic fever viruses are of great

concern these viruses cause internal and

external bleeding in people who get

infected viral hemorrhagic fever is

caused by four families of viruses you

can find more information about these

families and their viruses under

resources following this presentation

they include Ebola Marburg Lassa fever

yellow fever and a few others none of a

viral hemorrhagic fever viruses occur

naturally in the United States although

with travel becoming easier and more

common an outbreak of these viruses is a

growing possibility like we've seen with

SARS and monkey pox new viruses can

easily enter our country the way that

hemorrhagic fever viruses spread varies

according to the type of virus you can

get some of these viruses by being in

close contact with people or animals

that are infectious or by being bitten

by an infected insect

some of these viruses may have been

around for a long time

one-third of Athenians lost their lives

to a mysterious plague in 431 BC some

historians believe that Ebola may have

been the disease that was described as

the cause of all these deaths during war

in ancient Greece hemorrhagic fever

viruses are worrisome as possible

biological weapons because they spread

so easily infection can be transmitted

by direct contact with infectious body

fluids or by infectious droplets that

reach the mucous membranes of your nose

eyes or mouth Ebola has caused

devastating outbreaks in several parts

of Africa killing entire families as

well as nurses and doctors working in

hospitals a recent outbreak in the

Republic of Congo caused hundreds of

deaths and froze travel and commerce in

large parts of the country other

hemorrhagic fever viruses including the

ones that caused Lassa fever Rift Valley

fever in Congo comand hemorrhagic fever

have caused large outbreaks that killed

people and in some cases livestock

Marburg virus a close relative of Ebola

is already known to have been developed

as a weapon a terrorist attack using any

of these viruses in a populated area

could result in mass illness and many

deaths the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention and other agencies are

staying alert to the possibility of

attacks using these hemorrhagic fever

viruses our partnership with health

departments and physicians is critical

to quickly identifying even a single

case of one of these diseases in the

u.s. we continue to be prepared to deal

with the possibility of a large outbreak

but it's always best to contain an

outbreak quickly before it grows out of

control

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first described as a plague-like illness

in the United States in 1911 a new

bacteria infecting ground squirrels was

discovered in Tulare County California

hence its name tularemia this disease

which affects mostly small animals is

frequently associated with sick rabbits

so it was described also as rabbit fever

there are several ways that people can

get infected being bitten by a blood

sucking insect such as a tick or deer

fly by handling meat and skins of

infected animals from food or water that

has been contaminated or by breathing in

the bacterial cases of tularemia

happened naturally in the environment

but cases have also happened in

laboratory settings where the disease

has been studied tularemia is not known

to spread from person to person but it

has been studied as a biological weapon

because it could be used to contaminate

food and water and because it does not

require many organisms to infect a

person as with the use of plague the

Japanese also used tool Aranea in their

biological warfare program general issue

used it in experiments against the

people of Manchuria before World War two

the goal was to create ways to infect as

many people as possible at one time

historians estimate that over 200,000

Chinese were killed in germ warfare

field experiments the World Health

Organization once estimated that 50

kilograms of tularemia spread through

the air over a city of five million

people would lead to 250,000 cases of

illness 19,000 of these sick people

would die illness from tularemia would

be expected to last for several weeks

however relapses can occur during the

following weeks and even months to

anemia is not a household name like

plague is however it is potentially a

dangerous disease that could be used as

a weapon to lavinia bacteria can be

mixed into food and water supplies and

then taken

by unsuspecting persons bacteria that is

sprayed into the air is also a concern

in 1994 it was removed from the list of

diseases that doctors are required to

report when they occur because of the

potential danger that tubing imposes to

mankind it was placed back on the

reportable list of diseases in 2002

Alenia is also classified as a category

a agent this means that it is one of the

critical agents of concern to us from a

bioterrorism perspective terenia was

included in the United States stockpile

of biological weapons in the late 1960s

dr. ken a Levesque is a Soviet Union

weapons defector who provided much

information about the biological weapons

programs in his country he has indicated

that his country and the United States

held similar studies trying to engineer

two arena strains that would be

resistant to antibiotics and vaccines

the United States ended its development

of such weapons in the early 1970s it's

important for doctors to recognize the

symptoms and how it spread this early

recognition would prevent a disaster if

this disease were introduced into our

food or water supply we're very

concerned about terrorists using

tularemia the disease agent is found not

only in nature but can also be purchased

from commercial sources for legitimate

scientific research although tularemia

may be obtained from other parts of the

world where its transfer is not well

regulated access to this bacteria is

under tight control in the United States