AGENTS OF BIOTERRORISM
PATHOGENS AND THEIR WEAPONIZATION
Geoffrey Zubay et al.
Columbia University Press
New York
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
cup.columbia.edu
Copyright 2005 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
E-ISBN 978-0-231-51813-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Agents of bioterrorism: pathogens and their weaponization / Geoffrey Zubay et al.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-231-13346-4 (alk. paper)
1. Pathogenic microorganisms. 2. Biological weapons. I. Zubay, Geoffrey.
QR175.M55 2005
579.165dc22 2005045565
A Columbia University Press E-book.
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C oncerns about bioterrorism led me to organize a college seminar course on microbiology and bioterrorism. This book, written mainly by students who participated in the seminar, follows the general structure of the course. Pathogens considered to be major biothreats are the central topic. They are examined from the standpoint of their biology and the steps that might be taken to defend against them. The information complements what is usually presented in a microbiology text, and there is little overlap.
The first chapter deals with general aspects of bioterrorism. Each of the 12 chapters that follow deals with a specific pathogen. In selecting the pathogens to be covered, we were guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has classified most pathogens into Categories A, B, or C, depending on their prevalence, ease of access and use, and potentially lethal effects if used in a bioterrorist attack. Six pathogens in Category A, three in Category B, and one in Category C are considered. In addition, two pathogens are discussed that have not been ranked by the CDC: the influenza virus and the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Each pathogen is considered from the standpoint of its history, molecular biology, pathology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, weaponization characteristics, and specific defenses.
The four appendixes deal with rapid drug discovery, strategies for developing and manufacturing vaccines, protective measures for individuals, and sources of information on bioterrorism. The book concludes with a glossary.
Bioterrorism is a provocative subject that disturbs many people to the extent that they would rather not discuss it. Consider the fear generated by an incident involving anthrax that occurred shortly after September 11, 2001. A few letters that had been posted from a mailbox in Trenton, New Jersey, were found to contain powdered anthrax, and a few individuals were exposed to lethal doses. The investigation that followed resulted in the closing of the Senate office building for several months and considerable anxiety among postal workers, who wanted the entire postal service to be shut down. I do not mean to trivialize this event or to say that a devastating bioterrorist event involving anthrax could not occur. However, we should keep a sense of proportion. Nature is still far ahead of the bioterrorists. Our planet is currently populated by about 6 billion humans. Roughly 120 million die each year from various causes, and about 10 million of these deaths are from infectious diseases. We have yet to see a bioterrorist event result in the loss of more than several thousand lives, and perhaps we never will. The more we know about the subject, the more likely we are to avoid disaster.
One good thing that has come out of all this concern is an awakening to the realization that research on infectious diseases has fallen behind the needs of a burgeoning population and a world in which globalization has eliminated boundaries that once appeared to limit the spread of pestilence.
I acknowledge the generous assistance of Anthony Gomez throughout the preparation of this text.
This book is an outgrowth of a course in bioterrorism that was given three times after 9/11. The students gave seminars that were revised and put into book form. We consider this course to be very authoritative mainly because Kathleen Kehoe, the author of , helped us to obtain the latest information from the vast literature on this subject. She was a major source of information to all of the participating students and to me.
Rian Balfour, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Barbara Chubak, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
William Edstrom, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Maria E. Garrido, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
James Hudspeth, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
Kathleen Kehoe, Biological Sciences Library and Physics/Astronomy Library, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Anuj Mehta, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Kira Morser, Kings College, London, United Kingdom
Rohit Venkat Puskoor, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Payal Shah, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Salwa Touma, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Joseph Patrick Ward, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Geoffrey Zubay, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.; visiting scholar, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA.
F ear is the currency of terrorism. It comes in a variety of forms: fear of dying, fear of being crippled, fear of the unknown. To reassure Americans in a day of confusion after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt said they had nothing to fear but fear itself. Because ignorance and insecurity are prime ingredients of fear, the more we know about a particular terrorist event the lower its fear potential is likely to be and the sooner we are likely to find a constructive solution.
This book is dedicated to presenting a comprehensive picture of what bioterrorism is all about and how we can defend ourselves against it. Our belief is that knowing what we are confronting will help to minimize fear and encourage productive behavior.
An effective terrorist knows how to plan his acts of terror so that they have maximum impact. He must be highly motivated and willing to make personal sacrifices. It is hard to think of a more effective act of terror than was committed at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, when a handful of terrorists brought down the symbols of American economic power and killed over 3000 people of different nationalities. More were killed by this small group than in the Pearl Harbor attack conducted by a naval battle group. Furthermore, the September 11 event produced enormous fear in the aftermath as we came to realize how vulnerable our society is to attacks of this nature, and we have since lived in fear of another attack. The World Trade Center terrorists were very effective; they had a workable plan and they were willing to die for it.
