ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

Bioterrorism, Protective MeasuresResearch is also underway to find genetic similaritiesbetween the microbes that could be used by bioterrorists.A vaccine made of a protein that is common to severalbacteria could potentially offer protection to the exposureany bacterium in the group, for example.❚ K. LEE LERNERBioterrorism,Protective Measures❚ FURTHER READING:BOOKS:Frist, W.H.When Every Moment Counts: What You Needto Know about Bioterrorism from the Senates onlyDoctor. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield,2002.Henderson, D. A., and T. V. Inglesby. Bioterrorism: Guidelinesfor Medical and Public Health Management. Chicago:American Medical Association, 2002.Inglesby, Thomas V. “Bioterrorist Threats: What the InfectiousDisease Community Should Know about Anthraxand Plague,” in Emerging Infections 5 Washington,D.C.: American Society for Microbiology Press, 2001.PERIODICALS:Kaufmann, A.F., M.I. Meltzer, and G.P. Schmid. “The EconomicImpact of a Bioterrorist Attack: Are Preventionand Postattack Intervention Program Justifiable?” EmergingInfectious Diseases no. 3 (1997): 83–94.SEE ALSOAnthrax, Terrorist Use as a Biological WeaponAnthrax VaccineAnthrax WeaponizationAntibioticsBiocontainment LaboratoriesBiological WarfareBiological Warfare, Advanced DiagnosticsBiological and Toxin Weapons ConventionBiological weapons, Genetic IdentificationBioterrorism, Protective MeasuresChemical and Biological Defense Information AnalysisCenter (CBIAC)Chemical and Biological Detection TechnologiesChemical and Biological Incident Response Force, UnitedStatesDARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)DNA Recognition InstrumentsDNA Sequences, UniqueMail SanitizationPathogen Genomic SequencingPathogen TransmissionPathogensPolymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)Salmonella and Salmonella Food PoisoningSmallpox VaccineSporesWeapons of Mass DestructionWeapons of Mass Destruction, DetectionWorld War IEncyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and SecurityBioterrorism is the deliberate use of microorganisms orthe poisonous compounds that can be produced by somemicrobes as weapons. Bioterrorism can be a well-organizedgovernment sanctioned weapons development program,or can involve a small group of people dedicated totheir particular cause.In the past, the weapons employed by nations weremore easily recognizable and defendable. For example,surveillance allows missile silos to be detected, and counter-strategiesput in place to deal with the launch of themissiles. Microorganisms, however, by virtue of theirsmall size can be readily hidden from detection. A vial ofanthrax spores—small enough to conceal in a pocket—can be released into the ventilation system of a building.The ability to protect against the use of biologicalweapons is becoming recognized as one of the paramountsecurity issues facing nations such as the United States.The need for protective measures against bioterrorismwas dramatically evident in the aftermath of the September11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, when alethal form of the anthrax bacterium that could be inhaledwas mailed to U.S. government leaders, media representatives,and citizens. The form that readiness and responsestrategies should take is the subject of muchpublic debate.A range of protective options exist. These includethe mass production and stockpiling of antibiotics (i.e.,ciprofloxacin, which is normally effective against the bacterialagent of anthrax) and the resumption of offensivebiological weapons programs by countries such as theUnited States (where offensive research was halted in1968). However, no single solution will provide protectionagainst the many potential biological weapons. Indeed, anargument has been made that a targeted response (e.g.,broadly inoculating the public against the virus causingsmallpox) might actually lower overall preparedness bydiverting personnel and funding from fundamental researchprograms that could help spawn a variety of protectivemeasures.The various protective measures to bioterrorism canbe divided into three general categories. These are strategic,tactical, and personal measures.Strategic deterrence can involve international cooperation.For example, late in 2001, the United States andNATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies reaffirmedtreaty commitments that the use weapons of massdestruction (i.e., biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons)against any member state would represent an attackagainst all NATO members. As of June 2002, this deterrencewas pointed at states—in particular Iraq—that have125