The Anthrax attacks in 1993 by the Aum Shinrikyo and, in 2001, the Amerithrax Case, brought the realization that the threats from biological attack were far from over, but had changed from what we traditionally thought they were. From the Soviet “BioPreparat”, we are now confronted with home-grown, terrorist, and other non-state actors experimenting with various forms of bio-weapons. Dr. Kimothy Smith, who has more than 25 years of experience working in Public and Biodefense. has served with the Department of Homeland Security and as a Senior Advisor for International Biodefense to the U.S. State Department. His presentation of Biowarfare to the National Security Forum was riveting. We thought you might like to peruse the slides he used in his PowerPoint talk.
3. Played in Las Vegas at the House of Blues in Feb 2012
4. Overview
• A Brief Bit of History
• Biological Warfare Programs
• Bio-Terrorism and Biodefense
• Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Summary and Discussion
5. A Brief Bit of History
• The Siege of Caffa
• European Settlement of America
• George Washington
6. Locator Map of Caffa
Present Day Feodosija, Ukraine. Establish in 1266
7. Siege of Caffa
• The year 1346
• First known use of Biological Warfare
• Responsible for spreading the Black Death
from Crimea to Europe
8. European Settlement of America
• In 1763 Lord Jeffrey Amherst purposely
distributed Smallpox virus contaminated
blankets to American Indians
• In the mid-1800’s at least four different major
epidemics struck the Plains tribes
9. George Washington
• Personal physician recorded in his journal that
Washington had Anthrax
• Surgically removed the lesion from his thigh
• Kept very secret
11. Biological Warfare Programs
• Country Program Status and Sverdlovsk
• Biological Weapons Convention
• Military vs. Civilian and Agricultural Threats
14. Sverdlosvk 1979
Between 120 and 400 persons sick
At least 75 died
Initial report blamed contaminated meat
Later linked to release from bio-weapons facility
Multiple fragment sizes for vrrA loci
Military housing south of Compound 19
15. Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
• The 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibited use of
Biological Weapons
• The BTWC was opened for signature in 1972 and
entered into force in 1975
• The Convention bans the development,
production, stockpiling, acquisition and retention
of microbial or other biological agents or toxins,
in types and in quantities that have no
justification for prophylactic, protective or other
peaceful purposes.
16. Sec. of State Clinton at BWC Review Conference 7
“The nature of the problem is evolving. The advances in
science and technology make it possible to both prevent
and cure more diseases, but also easier for states and
non-state actors to develop biological weapons. A crude,
but effective, terrorist weapon can be made by using a
small sample of any number of widely available
pathogens, inexpensive equipment, and college-level
chemistry and biology. Even as it becomes easier to
develop these weapons, it remains extremely difficult…to
detect them, because almost any biological research can
serve dual purposes. The same equipment and technical
knowledge used for legitimate research to save lives can
also be used to manufacture deadly diseases.”
17. Military vs. Civilian and Agricultural Threat
• On the battlefield the
threat of BW may be as
effective (or more!) as
actual use
• Is the enemy objective to
kill or hinder (incapacitating
agents) or consume
resources?
• Control of BW agent after
release may be difficult or
impossible due to drift,
etc., or use of infectious
agent
18. Military vs. Civilian and Agricultural Threat
• Military use of BW agent
on a civilian population?
Biological Warfare or Bio-
Terrorism?
• Attack on agricultural
targets could be
potentially more
devastating, at least
economically
• Accomplished by State or
Non-state actors
19. Bioterrorism and Biodefense
• Aum Shinrikyo and Amerithrax
• Biodefense Spending vs. Readiness
• DIY Bio and Synthetic Biology
• “The Birds are Already Doing That…”
22. Sterne
Kameido
Livestock
(Aum Shinrikyo)
Vaccine
Isolate
Strain
vrrC1
vrrC2
-Both isolates lack pXO2 plasmid
-Fragment sizes match for 7 loci
vrrA
vrrB1
vrrB2
CG3
pXO1-AAT
23.
24. Sept. 18, Mailing of anthrax letters to NBC and NY Post and probably to the National
Trenton
2001 Enquirer.
Mailing of hoax letters to NBC and probably to NY Post [and National
Sept. 20 St. Petersburg
Enquirer?]
Mailing of accusatory letter to Quantico Marine Base accusing Dr. Asaad,
Sept. 21 place?
former USAMRIID scientist, as terrorist.
Sept. 19- NBC received and opened ANTHRAX letter (brown granular sandy); not
NYC
25 recognized as dangerous, and not reported by media.
NBC received and opened HOAX letter postmarked 20 Sept; notified FBI but
Sept. 25 NYC
incident not reported by media.
Oct. 1 DC Washington Times article quoting SH (reprint from 11 Aug 97).
Oct. 2 Boca Raton Stevens (AMI) checked into hospital, near death, undiagnosed.
Oct. 4 Boca Raton First report of anthrax case, 5pm (Stevens, AMI).
Oct. 5 Boca Raton Death of first anthrax victim (Stevens, inhalation anthrax).
Mailing of hoax letters hoax letters to J. Miller at NY Times and H. Troxler at St.
Oct. 5 St. Petersburg
Petersburg Times.
Oct. 5-8 US media Suspicion of possible bioterrorism is increasing but mail not implicated.
Oct. 6-7 Boca Raton At AMI, spores found in 2nd worker and on Stevens' computer keyboard.
Oct. 8 Boca Raton
2nd worker (Blanco, mailroom worker) at AMI sick, nasal spores detected; FBI
takes over investigation, seals AMI office. Blanco later confirmed to have
CSF smear
inhalation anthrax.
Thoracic radiograph
Oct. 9 US media Looks like bioterrorism (letters not yet recognized as source).
Oct. 9 St. Petersburg Troxler (St. P Times) opened hoax letter.
Oct. 9 Trenton Mailing of anthrax letters to Daschle and Leahy.
3rd AMI worker (2nd in mailroom) tests positive for anthrax. FBI now conducting
Oct. 10 Boca Raton
criminal investigation. Anthrax strain appears to be Ames.
First suspicion that source of anthrax at AMI might be a letter (not found),
Oct. 10-12 US media
since two of those affected work in mailroom.
Oct. 12 NYC Miller at NYT opened hoax letter.
Oct. 12-13 US media First reports of any anthrax of hoax letters to media.
NBC cutaneous anthrax case reported (Brokaw's Assistant). First symptom was
Oct. 12 NYC
25 Sept.
27. Amerithrax
• The total cost of
Amerithrax is
incalculable
• 5 deaths and 24
infected person
(known)
• Did the U.S. reaction
cause this to be a
“Black Swan” event?
29. Civilian Biodefense Funding by Agency,
FY2011 (in $millions)
Federal Agency Biodefense Funding, FY2010-FY2011
Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Volume 8, Number 2, 2010
30. Bio-Response Report Card
The Bipartisan WMD Terrorism Research Center’s Bio-Response Report Card October
2011, WMD Center Wash., DC wmdcenter.org
31. DIY Bio
Do-it-yourself: Cathal Garvey, 26, poses in the biology laboratory he created in his
mother's spare bedroom. – MIT Technology Review 2/13/12
33. “The Birds are Already Doing That…”
• National Institutes of Health funded
study to genetically modify H5N1
Influenza virus (Bird Flu) to be more
easily transmitted between humans
• The research prompted the National
Science Advisory Board for
Biosecurity (NSABB), which advises
the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), to
recommend that Science and Nature
redact key information prior to
publication
• Both NSABB and HHS expressed
concerns that published details
about the papers' methodology and
results could become a blueprint for
bioterrorism.
34. Emerging Infectious Diseases
• West Nile Virus
• Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome
(SARS)
• Avian Flu
• Swine Flu
• Ebola Reston Virus
• XDR TB
35. Summary and Discussion
• BW Threat of yesterday
likely doesn’t exist today
• Bioterrorism and EID’s are
“Black Swan” events
• Balanced approach
between Biodefense and
building Public Health
Capability and Capacity is
the most sound approach
• Despite fears of DIY Bio and
Synthetic Biology openness
of research keeps us safer
Rather than get eye-strain for those of you who were trying to determine the counties in Nevada – here is the map.The Old Damonte Ranch south of Reno was called Anthrax Meadows in the fifties due to the large number of cases of anthrax mostly in cattle.
For ANYONE of “My Generation”: ANTRHAXPerformed LAST NIGHT At the House of Blues in Las Vegas.Any of you attend?! Their latest album “Worship Music” is said to be very good – I can’t really tell you because I’m not a huge fan.
Map data assembled from the Monterey Institute for International Studies, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.Algeria ResearchCanada FormerChina ProbableCuba ResearchEgypt ProbableFrance FormerGermany FormerIndia ResearchIran ProbableIraq FormerIsrael ResearchJapan FormerLibya FormerNorth Korea ResearchPakistan PossibleRussia ResearchSouth Africa FormerSudan ResearchSyria ResearchTaiwan ResearchUnited Kingdom FormerUnited States Former Ended offensive program under Nixon in 1969
It also bans weapons, equipment or means of delivery designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.162 Countries have signed144 Countries have ratifiedDeclarations and confidence building measuresNo teeth because there is no verification mechanism and likely never to be anyIntellectual property protection; private sector pharma, biotech, etc.Dual-use issues and countermeasure development
As discovered with the U.S. offensive program many BW agents are difficult to “weaponize” effectively and deliver effectively
BioWatch program monitoring aerosols in major cities of the U.S. R&D is in the “3rd Generation” contracts worth more than 3 Billion USDMilitary has similar systemsUSPS has similar systemsFMDV introduced to the US would cost more than 8 Billion USD with the first case.
The Bipartisan WMD Terrorism Research Center – October 2011Senator Bob GrahamSenator Jim Talent
Synthetic biology has become a part of mainstream Citizen ScienceNot just basic microbiology experiments with moldy bread – this is real capability in some cases equivalent to pharma industryThink of the cyber terrorism group Anonymous but instead with bio capability…
