Dr. Lam Author of
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Bioterrorism -
The Next Frontier
Michael Lam, MD, MPH
www.DrLam.com
 Initial
signs and symptoms are quite mild -- people showing up at doctors' offices
or emergency rooms with teary eyes, runny noses, and headaches- typical
flu-like symptoms. Only the numbers keep growing, and these symptoms worsen over time. Patients start dying
after a few days. Other problems including
bleeding, ulcer type lesions, difficulty breathing alert medical personnel
to the possibility of the unthinkable: an attack on a civilian population
with biological weapons.
Likely biological weapons
The two most likely biological agents are anthrax
and small pox.
Anthrax is a deadly bacterial
disease spread by spores and generally confined to sheep, cattle, horses,
goats and pigs. The lethal dose of anthrax
spores can be as little as one-billionth of a gram. If 50 pounds
of it were disbursed in a city of half a million people, about 100,000 would
die within a few days to a week. It kills
about 90% of those it infects. It does not spread from person
to person.
Smallpox was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980. While
not as lethal, it kills only about 30% of
those it infects but is highly infectious. Since its eradication,
little vaccine is saved. Whatever is available is in small quantity. Since
vaccination no longer occurs, an entire generation is open and susceptible
to attack.
All that is needed to cause a heavy death toll is a small private plane
with a bag of powdery bacterial spores. The spores are distributed while
in flight.
A small cloud of bacteria or viruses could easily and silently infect thousands
of people, triggering fatal outbreaks of anthrax, smallpox, pneumonic plague
and many unimaginable diseases. Due to the highly contagious nature of these
microbes, victims infected easily pass on to others. No hostage is required,
and the terrorist can be home in time for dinner instead of ending it all
in a suicidal inferno.
The two most likely chemical agents, experts said, would be nerve
gases such as sarin or VX, which attacks the nervous system,
and mustard gas, which causes death
by deadly internal and external blistering
Biological warfare is not new. After the Iran-Iraq war, U.N. weapons inspectors
discovered that Iraq had stockpiled warheads containing anthrax spores and
the toxin that causes botulism. Obviously someone has already thought through
the most destructive way to take lives aside from missiles alone. In 1995,
Aum Shinrikyo, the Japanese religious cult, released sarin nerve gas in
the Tokyo subway system, killing and injuring hundreds. Of course that is
only the tip of the iceberg.
It is known that at least five countries that are known to sponsor
international terrorism have acquired the capacity to produce biological
weapons.
If attacks do occur they will most certainly happen in densely populated
metropolitans.
What can you do:
 a.
Stay clear of major urban centers and
malls.
b. Have a good supply of basic essentials such as water, can goods to last
at least 30 days.
c. Know how to get to a nearby hospital.
d. Study ways to deal with toxic gases. Certain types of gas
mask have limited effect. The good ones usually run around
200 US dollars . It is unlikely that toxic gas will be used,
because the yield is far lower than germ warfare. Nevertheless it
is good to have ready protection on hand.
e. Make sure you are protected from germ warfare. This
is relatively simple to do. A good surgical mask to filter the air you breath,
and a gas mask will not do the job. Get a surgical mask that can filter
organisms down to 0.1 micron. They
are fairly inexpensive, about US 20 cents a piece. For further protection,
apply tape around the edge of the mask to have a better seal.
e. In case of an attack, go west ( winds usually blow from east to west)
Related Links:
30 minute audio link on Anthrax
MEDICAL ASPECTS of CHEMICAL and BIOLOGICAL WARFARE
BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AND ITS CUTANEOUS MANIFESTATIONS
The specter of Biological Warfare
Biological Warfare Agents
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About The Author
Michael Lam, M.D., M.P.H., A.B.A.A.M. is a specialist in Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree and is Board Certification in Anti-aging Medicine by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. He has authored numerous articles and the following books: The Five Proven Secrets to Longevity, How to Stay Young and Live Longer, Estrogen Dominance - Hormonal Imbalance of the 21st Century, and Beating Cancer with Natural Medicine.
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© 1999-2009 Michael
Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
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