Posted on 06/22/2002 12:52:01 AM PDT by goody2shooz
There has been intensive covert research in many countries, in an attempt to produce modifications in disease-producing viruses.
Russia and Iraq have been at the forefront of these researches.
There have emerged several major threats to mankind in the form of lethal viruses and bacteria.
Among these are smallpox (variola), hemorrhagic viruses such as Ebola, and the encephalitis viruses.
Ebola is extremely susceptible to sunlight, heat and drying. It is difficult to handle and deliver while still viable and infectious.
Nonetheless, it is highly lethal and effective in large enclosed spaces such as auditoriums (?) and, probably, stadiums.
Most of the encephalitides are primarily mosquito- or insect-borne.
The ideal bioweapon should be highly lethal, hardy, easy to culture and not too complicated to deliver to the intended victim population.
Most of the weaponized viruses are difficult to deliver because they are fragile and especially vulnerable to exposure to air, sunlight, dryness and heat.
Russia is the principal nation conducting research on the nuclear polyhedrosis virus, an insect virus that secretes a protective protein crystalline coat around itself that renders the organism resistant to ambient effects of heat, cold and sunlight and also increases viability.
According to Dr. Ken Alibek, former head of the Bioweapons Program for the Soviets, during the 1980s and 1990s the Russian Biopreparat experimented with the insertion of smallpox genes into the polyhedrosis virus, and may have succeeded in producing an even more hardy killer virus.
I consider variola smallpox to be a likely biological weapon to be used against the United States, because those previously vaccinated have largely lost immunity.
Even in its original form, smallpox may be the ideal killer virus because it is readily cultured, highly contagious, and relatively resistant to environmental changes.
After a laydown from aircraft using aerosol suspension it will usually survive long enough in the aerosolized mist to be carried on the wind to reach, and eventually kill, a high percentage of human hosts. The airborne droplets are small (1-5 microns) and remain suspended long enough to spread over a 50-mile-wide area.
Smallpox: The Disease
Signs and Symptoms: Clinical manifestations begin acutely with malaise, fever, rigors, vomiting, headache, and backache. Two to three days later lesions appear, first on the face and arms, then later on the legs, quickly progressing from macules to papules (red spots) and eventually to pustular vesicles (blisters). They are more abundant on the upper extremities and face.
Diagnosis: Neither electron nor light microscopy are capable of discriminating variola from vaccinia, monkeypox or cowpox. The new PCR diagnostic techniques may be more accurate in discriminating between variola and other Orthopoxviruses.
Treatment: At present there is no effective chemotherapy, and treatment of clinical cases remains supportive.
Prophylaxis (Prevention): Immediate vaccination or revaccination should be undertaken for all personnel exposed.
Isolation and Decontamination: Droplet and airborne precautions for a minimum of 17 days following exposure for all contacts. Patients should be considered infectious until all scabs separate, and they quarantined during this period.
In the civilian setting, strict quarantine of asymptomatic contacts may prove to be impractical and impossible to enforce.A reasonable alternative would be to require contacts to check their temperatures daily and to remain at home. All bed linens and objects in contact with the infected person should be handled carefully [latex gloves, surgical masks] so as not to spread the virus. Disinfection of clothing, dishes and utensils with hypochlorite [bleach] should be carefully performed.
Any fever above 38 degrees C (101 F) during the 17-day period following exposure to a confirmed case would suggest the development of smallpox. The contact should then be isolated immediately, preferably at home, until smallpox is either confirmed or ruled out, and remain in isolation until all scabs separate.
Although the fully developed cutaneous eruption of smallpox is unique, earlier stages of the rash could be mistaken for varicella (chicken pox). The smallpox blisters tend to all be at the same stage and size, whereas in chickenpox they are in different sizes and stages.
Secondary spread of infection constitutes a nosocomial hazard [spread by medical personnel in the hospital] from the time of onset of a smallpox patient's exanthem [rash] until scabs have separated. Quarantine with respiratory isolation should be applied to secondary contacts for 17 days post-exposure. Vaccinia vaccination, with the attenuated [weakened] virus early in the disease, and vaccinia immune globulin both possess some efficacy in post-exposure prophylaxis.
The author, Dr. Weeks, served with the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps and was hospital commander at Bitburg Air Force Base. He is a lecturer on infectious diseases and biological warfare.
References:
1. USAMRIID Manual of Biological Warfare.
2. "Biohazard," Dr. Ken Alibek, former Deputy Commander of the Soviet Biopreparat for Research on Biological Weapons.
Originally published in NewsMax.com on Oct. 10, 2001. Republished Friday, June 21, 2002.
Note too, that strict quarantine is difficult to effect. Yet the CDC believes they can isolate areas of exposure and control the spread of an virulent airborne virus by ring vaccination. They even have told the Senate (according to Senator Maria Cantwell) that is how smallpox was eradicated in the Third World! They are completely ignoring the pertinent fact that the U.S. population is not a part of the Third World, but is in fact the most mobile society in the world.
But by golly, what a relief to know that the doctor who will sign my death certificate was vaccinated and safe(sarcasm).
What the CDC has recommended will not work.
There is a definite measurable risk from Smallpox vaccination. The risk of death is currently 1 per million for primary vaccinees and 0.1 per million for re-vaccinees. For children under 1 year of age the risk of death is 5 per million.
Among primary vaccinees, the combined incidence of postvaccinal encephalitis and vaccinia necrosum is 3.8 per million in persons of all ages. In re-vaccinees these two complications occur at a rate of 0.7 per million. Severe complications of vaccination occur in people who are immunodeficient, immunosuppressed, haematological, suffering other malignancies or pregnant. Source of my information: 'Jawetz, Melnick & Adelberg's Medical Microbiology' 20th Edition. Editors: G. F. Brooks, J. S. Butel and L. N. Ornston. Published in 1995.
Therefore, I estimate around 750 serious illnesses (some will cause permanent disabilities or brain damage) and about 170 deaths due to Smallpox vaccination of the applicable portion of the entire population. Now, obviously, that is a much lower number of deaths than might occur if Smallpox was actually used in an attack. However, we would look like idiots if we vaccinated everyone and lost that number of people, and then all the worries about Smallpox being possessed by al-Qaeda turned out to be media hype.
You are right that impressive quarantine methods would be needed to control the spread of a smallpox epidemic after an attack. It would be a very difficult and desperate situation to seal off a major city like New York, or more than one city, and confine people to their homes until they are vaccinated. However, if we vaccinated everyone just in case there is a Smallpox attack, which never materialised, then the hundreds of serious illnesses and deaths that would result would be a further victory for the terrorists. The decision whether or not to perform mass vaccination in the current climate is a dilemma.
I think that Smallpox vaccination should be available to those who want it and that if evidence of a biological attack in preparation comes to light then a mass vaccination program should be begun. However, you can protect yourself from the Smallpox epidemic subsequent to a biological attack by laying up supplies of food and other essentials and getting an appropriate gas mask and coveralls to use when you have to leave your home. Also turn off shared air conditioning systems if you live in an apartment building. These precautions would protect you from exposure to the virus until you are vaccinated and have developed immunity.
'1. Primary take - In the fully susceptible person, a papule surrounded by hyperemia appears on the third or fourth day. The papule increases in size until vesiculation appears (on the fifth or sixth day). The vesicle reaches its maximum size by the ninth day and then becomes pustular, usually with some tenderness of the axillary nodes. Dessication follows and is complete in about 2 weeks, leaving a depressed pink scar that ultimately turns white. The reading of the result is usually done on the seventh day. If this reaction is not observed, vaccination chould be repeated.
2. Revaccination - A successful revaccination shows in 6-8 days a vesicular or pustular lesion or an area of palpable induration surrounding a central lesion, which may be a scab or an ulcer. Only this reaction indicates with certainty that viral multiplication has taken place. Equivocal reactions may represent immunity but may also represent merely allergic reactions to a vaccine that has become inactivated. When an equivocal reaction occurs, the revaccination should be repeated using a new lot of vaccine known to give "takes" in other persons.'
This quote was from an American medical textbook, so it should be referring to reactions commonly seen in American vaccinees using American Smallpox vaccine.
Best regards
David
David_H...better to look like idiots with virtually the entire population surviving than to look like idiots with half or more of the population dead because we listened to the recommendations of some CDC "panel of experts"...doncha think??
If general innoculation is performed prior to any attack, this will either (1) preempt any attack, or (2)if the "islamic martyrs" are stupid enough to attack anyway, the impact will be extremely minimal. I strongly favor massive voluntary innoculation ASAP.
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