Biotechnology and the Public Health Response to Bioterrorism

Abstract

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 have forced a reconsideration of international security. The role of relatively small, but well organized, terrorists groups in inflictingmass casualtiesmust be considered a real threat. InOctober 2001, Bacillus anthracis spores were intentionally released through the mailing of contaminated letters distributed through the United States postal service. Again, apparently small groups, or perhaps an individual, were able to utilize a biological agent as a weapon to cause death and affect relatively large areas of the United States, including the District of Columbia, Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, andNew York.(1) Furthermore, the resulting hysteria and public response has focused recent attention on the use of biological agents as potential weapons. The use of the US postal system as an efficient “artificial mechanical vector” has served to remind us that the dispersion and transmission of intentional infections may share few similarities with naturally acquired infections caused by the same agent. Characterization of the intentionally released B. anthracis spores revealed that they were related to the Ames strain—a relatively wellstudied laboratory strain. Much media attention has been focused on the use