Medical Expert Says Bio-Terrorism Unlikely In Queens

As frightened Americans steel themselves for an expected Taliban counterattack, their fears center around the possibility of biological terrorism. They worry that terrorists could slip into the country again and threaten the populace with two deadly diseases, anthrax or smallpox.
Even though such weaponry has never been used successfully, the public is chilled by the prospect of "germ warfare." An expert at North Shore University Long Island Jewish Medical System revealed last week to The Queens Courier that such a danger is remote. Dr. David Shepp, an infectious disease specialist, emphasized the difficulty terrorist would have in preparing and delivering lethal doses of the microbes in an open environment.
"Biological warfare carries with it extraordinary difficulties," Shepp said. "It has formidable obstacles before it can be prepared and delivered."
Shepp said that the substances are dangerous to handle. He added that the public image of crop duster airplanes spewing deadly germs over city streets is an unlikely scenario.
"You need perfect weather to carry out such destruction," he said. "If not, the germs will be dispersed by the wind and few if any individuals will contract the disease."
Shepp said that release of anthrax would have deadly effects in a closed environment, but is unlikely to infect many people.
"There is a vaccine for anthrax," Shepp said. "But its only available for the military and getting sufficient quantities for masses of people would take a great deal of time. Theres only one pharmaceutical firm making that vaccine."
Anthrax can be treated by antibiotics, including Cipro, penicillin and doxycycline, if they are administered within days of exposure.
That disease is seen regularly among cattle in the southwest and might provide a source for terrorists.
Meanwhile, at press time a second anthrax case was discovered in Florida and FBI agents were called in to investigate.
Terrorist groups have attempted to use anthrax to panic crowds. In early 1990, the Japanese terrorist sect Aum released anthrax spores from the roof of its Tokyo headquarters. As far as we know, no one was killed. Aum is best known for its attack on the Tokyo subway on March 20, 1995 in the middle of the rush hour. Eleven died and 5,000 were injured.
As far as smallpox is concerned, there are only two known batches in existence, one in Russia and one at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Smallpox microbes are an even bigger worry than anthrax because they could cause a global pandemic. Unlike anthrax, smallpox is contagious, spreading from person to person through the air. It is estimated to kill about 30 percent of unvaccinated victims.
Shepp, who previously worked in a vaccine laboratory at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that smallpox can be diagnosed in early stages by the appearance of a pustule on the face that then turns into a black squab. One variety of smallpox is contracted by inhalation. This type has an innocuous early symptom which surfaces as the flu.
"Most patients dont seek early treatment and then the disease often turns fatal," he said.
The infectious disease specialist said that smallpox has been extinct for years and that most physicians have never seen a case. Shepp said he has only seen photos of smallpox patients in medical textbooks.
Shepp said that terrorists would need a large "stash" of the microbe to cause widespread fatalities. He said a supply would be hard to find unless some third world nation was hoarding a supply.
The specialist said that if an outbreak of smallpox or anthrax occurred because of terrorist activities, most American hospitals would not be able to cope with the threat unless federal intervention was forthcoming.
Most experts believe the best solution to the problem is enhanced intelligence and a change in health policies.