Bioterrorism Watch Archives – May 1, 2005
May 1, 2005
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Chemical food-borne terrorism poses initial detection problems
Commonly available chemicals could be used to cause a food-borne disease outbreak that initially might confound investigators looking for a biological etiology, warn epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). -
Race between cooperation and nuclear catastrophe
Though seen by some analysts as inevitable, a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon may yet be averted if ongoing international efforts are intensified, said Sam Nunn, director of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. -
History shows smallpox could be contained
Reviewing two historical smallpox outbreaks, researchers in the United Kingdom say it may be possible to contain transmission of the virus without resorting to mass pre-event immunization. Indeed, unless there is a smallpox outbreak, the individual risks of pre-event smallpox vaccination may outweigh the potential benefits. -
Postal workers lost trust in fed response to anthrax
With some citing the infamous Tuskegee incident, African-American postal workers exposed in the 2001 anthrax attacks were highly critical of the public health response, according to a recently published study. Researchers recommend that future communications on public health emergencies closely involve people from exposed population groups. -
Researchers unknowingly used real anthrax in tests
Like an electrician unknowingly working with hot wires, researchers at a hospital in California found that a benign biological surrogate they were working with actually contained anthrax spores. Consider this cautionary tale from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). -
CE/CME Objections/Questions