It is unusual to open a newspaper and not find an article about anthrax or smallpox. These words saturate the media, potentially convincing one that a biological attack is imminent. The questions are what steps are being taken in our community to prevent and prepare for such an attack and what is the real risk of one occurring.
\A great deal has been done in Wisconsin, but this is going to be a long process because the threats are going to evolve and we need to evolve with them,"" said Gov. Scott McCallum in a press release.
Since Sept. 11, the federal government has provided Wisconsin with more than $23 million to improve security measures. The money has helped coordinate the emergency response of hospitals, clinics, EMS and police and fire departments. It has also assisted in securing airports and nuclear power plants and operating the Wisconsin Health Alert Network to keep the public health community up-to-date about the latest anti-terrorism developments.
""We want to encourage clinics and emergency rooms to be in tune with the diseases,"" said Gareth Johnson, administrator of the Dane County Division of Public Health. ""Then they will report them quickly and our office is prepared to detect patterns.""
Doctors are asked to watch the community's health by reporting patients with headaches and fevers even before giving a diagnosis. Because the symptoms of anthrax and smallpox resemble those of a cold or flu, pharmacies must report increases in the use of cold and flu medicines.
According to UW-Madison assistant professor of medicine, Dr. M. Bruce Lindsay, smallpox is most feared of the biological weapons because it is contagious. A potentially deadly viral infectious disease, terrorists could spread it with aerosol generators.
Doctors originally immunized patients using cowpox, a less dangerous and noncommunicable form of smallpox. The disease was eradicated in 1977 and the vaccination was discontinued. If re-introduced, it would have widespread and harmful effects because previously vaccinated individuals' immunity has waned and those born after vaccine administration ended never developed any immunity.
A smallpox carrier will develop a fever and severe aches followed by a red rash spreading over the body. The virus is most deadly to children and adults with poor immune systems. Of those infected with it, 30 percent die.
A vaccine can ward off the disease if administered soon after exposure. Other treatment involves supportive therapy and antibiotics for secondary infections. However, smallpox would be dangerous to and difficult for a terrorist group to create or obtain.
Unlike smallpox, anthrax is not contagious and is more readily available to terrorists who could disperse it in the form of a fine powder. The powder enters the body through cuts in the skin, by inhalation in or by ingestion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a National Pharmaceutical Stockpile of anthrax antibiotics that, upon request of the governor, can be shipped to the emergency site within 12 hours. The Dane County Division of Public Health has developed a plan for receiving and handling the antibiotics if need be. However, no anthrax vaccine is available to the public.
""Anthrax is much easier [than smallpox] to obtain, but has little propensity for secondary spread,"" Lindsay said. ""The weapon is fear, not infection. And the way to combat fear is through education.""
Avoiding a catastrophe is an involved task. It requires cooperation from individuals and government.
""We can never entirely shut off the possibility, but we can be vigilant,"" said Jon Pevehouse, assistant professor of political science at UW-Madison. ""The key is to not get too worked up about it and use common sense.""
Government authorities suggest that citizens not take an alarmist stance, but a cautious one. They recommended not opening packages from unknown senders, staying informed and reporting suspicious symptoms to a public health department.
""Be in tune to your own health and that of your family,"" said Johnson. ""If you see yourself or multiple people in one place suddenly become ill with similar symptoms, take it seriously and report it right away.\
