Wisconsin state agencies practiced their emergency response plan Wednesday when they reacted to a theoretical bioterrorism attack.
During the four-hour exercise, which revolved around the scenario that the pneumonic plague had been released in Madison, the state Division of Emergency Management coordinated the staffs of a number of state agencies.
The disease which quickly kills nearly all who contract it has no cure but certain antibiotics are helpful if the sickness is caught within the first few days of infection.
To deal with the situation, officials decided to have the National Guard quarantine the city while having the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department bring in antibiotics for the a nearby hospital.
The event was paid for by part of the $300,000 dollar federal grant Wisconsin was awarded for its statewide anti-terrorism plan. The rest of the funds will be used to hold a larger exercise in May.
