William R Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336214
- eISBN:
- 9780199868537
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336214.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Ecology
Over the past two decades, an enormous effort has been mounted by numerous federal and state agencies to prepare America to defend against the possibility of a catastrophic bioterrorist attack. This ...
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Over the past two decades, an enormous effort has been mounted by numerous federal and state agencies to prepare America to defend against the possibility of a catastrophic bioterrorist attack. This effort jumped ahead at warp speed following the horrendous World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September, 2001, followed by the postal anthrax scares a few weeks later that killed five people. By the end of 2008, the US will have spent nearly fifty billion dollars upgrading almost every conceivable aspect of our ability to respond defensively to a bioterrorism attack. How likely is it that America will experience a future bioterrorist attack that could bring this country to its knees? What would it take to mount such an attack? Who could do it, and what weapons would they use? How would bioterrorism compare with the damage America would suffer from other forms of terrorism, or from a natural biocatastrophe like avian influenza? No nation has infinite resources, and we must accept that we may never be able to make ourselves completely safe from every threat we face. We will have to make rational assessments of those threats we can identify, and apportion our resources as intelligently as we can to deal with them. This book looks at the scientific, political, legal and social facets of bioterrorism that can guide us as we attempt to bring this particular threat into a realistic perspective for the 21st century.Less
Over the past two decades, an enormous effort has been mounted by numerous federal and state agencies to prepare America to defend against the possibility of a catastrophic bioterrorist attack. This effort jumped ahead at warp speed following the horrendous World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks of September, 2001, followed by the postal anthrax scares a few weeks later that killed five people. By the end of 2008, the US will have spent nearly fifty billion dollars upgrading almost every conceivable aspect of our ability to respond defensively to a bioterrorism attack. How likely is it that America will experience a future bioterrorist attack that could bring this country to its knees? What would it take to mount such an attack? Who could do it, and what weapons would they use? How would bioterrorism compare with the damage America would suffer from other forms of terrorism, or from a natural biocatastrophe like avian influenza? No nation has infinite resources, and we must accept that we may never be able to make ourselves completely safe from every threat we face. We will have to make rational assessments of those threats we can identify, and apportion our resources as intelligently as we can to deal with them. This book looks at the scientific, political, legal and social facets of bioterrorism that can guide us as we attempt to bring this particular threat into a realistic perspective for the 21st century.
William R. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195336634
- eISBN:
- 9780199868568
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195336634.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
The immune system is the only thing standing between us and a world of microbial predators that could send us to an early and ugly death. It would be our only defense during the first hours of a ...
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The immune system is the only thing standing between us and a world of microbial predators that could send us to an early and ugly death. It would be our only defense during the first hours of a bioterrorist attack using some of these very microbes. Evolved over millions of years of to keep us alive long enough to reproduce, the immune system has developed an impressive armamentarium of powerful chemical and cellular weapons that make short work of hostile viruses and bacteria. It has also evolved amazing genetic strategies to keep pace with invading microbes that can reproduce — and thus alter their genetic blueprint — in under an hour. But this same system prevents us from accepting life-saving organ transplants. It is also capable of over-reacting, leading to immunopathologies and causing serious, even lethal, damage to our tissues and organs. Worse yet, our immune systems may decide we ourselves are foreign and attack otherwise healthy tissues, resulting in autoimmune disease. And finally, it is itself the target of one of the most deadly viruses humans have ever known: HIV, the agent of AIDS. Part I of this book describes the structure and function of the immune system at a biological and biochemical level. Part II examines the role of the immune system in a range of human diseases — many caused by the immune system itself.Less
The immune system is the only thing standing between us and a world of microbial predators that could send us to an early and ugly death. It would be our only defense during the first hours of a bioterrorist attack using some of these very microbes. Evolved over millions of years of to keep us alive long enough to reproduce, the immune system has developed an impressive armamentarium of powerful chemical and cellular weapons that make short work of hostile viruses and bacteria. It has also evolved amazing genetic strategies to keep pace with invading microbes that can reproduce — and thus alter their genetic blueprint — in under an hour. But this same system prevents us from accepting life-saving organ transplants. It is also capable of over-reacting, leading to immunopathologies and causing serious, even lethal, damage to our tissues and organs. Worse yet, our immune systems may decide we ourselves are foreign and attack otherwise healthy tissues, resulting in autoimmune disease. And finally, it is itself the target of one of the most deadly viruses humans have ever known: HIV, the agent of AIDS. Part I of this book describes the structure and function of the immune system at a biological and biochemical level. Part II examines the role of the immune system in a range of human diseases — many caused by the immune system itself.
Nicholas P. Money
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195189711
- eISBN:
- 9780199790265
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189711.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Microbiology
The pods of the tropical plant cacao, Theobroma cacao, are the source of chocolate. This crop is afflicted by a multitude of fungal diseases, including witches’ broom, frosty pod rot, and black pod. ...
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The pods of the tropical plant cacao, Theobroma cacao, are the source of chocolate. This crop is afflicted by a multitude of fungal diseases, including witches’ broom, frosty pod rot, and black pod. Until the mid-1990s, Brazil was second only to Côte d’Ivoire in cacao production. But then, the witches’ broom fungus, Crinipellis perniciosa, arrived, devastated the cacao plantations in Bahia, and Brazil dropped to fifth place among the cacao producing nations. The story of cacao diseases involves intriguing twists and turns, both scientific and geopolitical, including contemporary concern about the deliberate introduction of plant pathogens as acts of bioterrorism.Less
The pods of the tropical plant cacao, Theobroma cacao, are the source of chocolate. This crop is afflicted by a multitude of fungal diseases, including witches’ broom, frosty pod rot, and black pod. Until the mid-1990s, Brazil was second only to Côte d’Ivoire in cacao production. But then, the witches’ broom fungus, Crinipellis perniciosa, arrived, devastated the cacao plantations in Bahia, and Brazil dropped to fifth place among the cacao producing nations. The story of cacao diseases involves intriguing twists and turns, both scientific and geopolitical, including contemporary concern about the deliberate introduction of plant pathogens as acts of bioterrorism.
Melanie Armstrong
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520292765
- eISBN:
- 9780520966147
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292765.001.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
The United States government has spent billions of dollars this century to prepare the nation for bioterrorism, despite the extremely rare occurrence of biological attacks in modern American history. ...
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The United States government has spent billions of dollars this century to prepare the nation for bioterrorism, despite the extremely rare occurrence of biological attacks in modern American history. Germ Wars argues that bioterrorism has emerged as a prominent fear in the modern age through the production of new forms of microbial nature and changing practices of warfare. Revolutions in biological science have made visible a vast microscopic world in the last century, and in this same era we have watched the rise of a global war on terror. Though these movements appear to emerge separately, this book argues that they are deeply entwined. New scientific knowledge of microbes makes possible new mechanisms of war. The history of the work done to harness and control germs, whether to create weapons or to eliminate disease, is an important site for investigating how biological natures shape modern life. Germ Wars aims to convince students and scholars as well as policymakers and activists that the ways in which bioterrorism has been produced have consequences in how people live in this world of unspecifiable risks.Less
The United States government has spent billions of dollars this century to prepare the nation for bioterrorism, despite the extremely rare occurrence of biological attacks in modern American history. Germ Wars argues that bioterrorism has emerged as a prominent fear in the modern age through the production of new forms of microbial nature and changing practices of warfare. Revolutions in biological science have made visible a vast microscopic world in the last century, and in this same era we have watched the rise of a global war on terror. Though these movements appear to emerge separately, this book argues that they are deeply entwined. New scientific knowledge of microbes makes possible new mechanisms of war. The history of the work done to harness and control germs, whether to create weapons or to eliminate disease, is an important site for investigating how biological natures shape modern life. Germ Wars aims to convince students and scholars as well as policymakers and activists that the ways in which bioterrorism has been produced have consequences in how people live in this world of unspecifiable risks.
Verla S. Neslund, Richard A. Goodman, James G. Hodge, and John P. Middaugh
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195372922
- eISBN:
- 9780199866090
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195372922.003.0010
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter provides an overview of the legal issues relating to public health surveillance. It discusses the general legal authorities for public health surveillance set forth in constitutional, ...
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This chapter provides an overview of the legal issues relating to public health surveillance. It discusses the general legal authorities for public health surveillance set forth in constitutional, statutory, and regulatory laws; legal milestones in the evolution of public health surveillance and disease control in the United States; and legal issues related to the collection, analysis, and dissemination of surveillance data for public health practice and research activities. In addition, the chapter presents information about new surveillance challenges beyond traditional infectious disease models, including the influence of bioterrorism preparedness on surveillance activities.Less
This chapter provides an overview of the legal issues relating to public health surveillance. It discusses the general legal authorities for public health surveillance set forth in constitutional, statutory, and regulatory laws; legal milestones in the evolution of public health surveillance and disease control in the United States; and legal issues related to the collection, analysis, and dissemination of surveillance data for public health practice and research activities. In addition, the chapter presents information about new surveillance challenges beyond traditional infectious disease models, including the influence of bioterrorism preparedness on surveillance activities.
Robert D. Bullard and Beverly Wright
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814799932
- eISBN:
- 9780814763841
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it ...
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When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. This book places the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. It compares and contrasts how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, and bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. It argues that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.Less
When the images of desperate, hungry, thirsty, sick, mostly black people circulated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent to the whole country that race did indeed matter when it came to government assistance. This book places the government response to natural and human-induced disasters in historical context over the past eight decades. It compares and contrasts how the government responded to emergencies, including environmental and public health emergencies, toxic contamination, industrial accidents, and bioterrorism threats and show that African Americans are disproportionately affected. It argues that uncovering and eliminating disparate disaster response can mean the difference between life and death for those most vulnerable in disastrous times.
Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801452888
- eISBN:
- 9780801471933
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801452888.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
This chapter narrates a meeting in Geneva in December 2011, where former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton warned of a potential bioterrorism threat. She said that “a crude, but effective, ...
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This chapter narrates a meeting in Geneva in December 2011, where former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton warned of a potential bioterrorism threat. She said that “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.” Her statement reiterates a common belief: scientific knowledge is cumulative, is easy to acquire and use, and does not depreciate over time. However, academic and practical evidence suggests that such knowledge is difficult to acquire, use, or transfer because much of it is tacit, local, and collective in nature. Thus, the chapter explores how different types of knowledge are acquired and transferred.Less
This chapter narrates a meeting in Geneva in December 2011, where former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton warned of a potential bioterrorism threat. She said that “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.” Her statement reiterates a common belief: scientific knowledge is cumulative, is easy to acquire and use, and does not depreciate over time. However, academic and practical evidence suggests that such knowledge is difficult to acquire, use, or transfer because much of it is tacit, local, and collective in nature. Thus, the chapter explores how different types of knowledge are acquired and transferred.
Victor W. Sidel and Barry S. Levy
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195325256
- eISBN:
- 9780199864409
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195325256.003.0010
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter describes biological weapons, including the history of their proliferation and use, outbreaks of anthrax and salmonellosis, international control of biological weapons, and specific ...
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This chapter describes biological weapons, including the history of their proliferation and use, outbreaks of anthrax and salmonellosis, international control of biological weapons, and specific bioterrorist weapons and their adverse health effects. It concludes with a discussion of what health professionals can do to address biological weapons.Less
This chapter describes biological weapons, including the history of their proliferation and use, outbreaks of anthrax and salmonellosis, international control of biological weapons, and specific bioterrorist weapons and their adverse health effects. It concludes with a discussion of what health professionals can do to address biological weapons.
Philip S. Brachman
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195325256
- eISBN:
- 9780199864409
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195325256.003.0006
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter describes the public health response to the anthrax epidemic in 2001. It discusses historical background, epidemiology of anthrax, terrorist use of anthrax, and evaluation of the public ...
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This chapter describes the public health response to the anthrax epidemic in 2001. It discusses historical background, epidemiology of anthrax, terrorist use of anthrax, and evaluation of the public health response to the anthrax outbreak in 2001. It concludes that the public health response to the anthrax bioterrorist event in 2001 was rapid and comprehensive, and it may have prevented the further spread of anthrax.Less
This chapter describes the public health response to the anthrax epidemic in 2001. It discusses historical background, epidemiology of anthrax, terrorist use of anthrax, and evaluation of the public health response to the anthrax outbreak in 2001. It concludes that the public health response to the anthrax bioterrorist event in 2001 was rapid and comprehensive, and it may have prevented the further spread of anthrax.
Stephen Papagiotas and Kelly Shannon
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190933692
- eISBN:
- 9780190624279
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190933692.003.0024
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Epidemiology
Exposures, illnesses, or outbreaks involving the suspected intentional use of biological or toxic agents require epidemiologists to work with nontraditional partners, specifically law enforcement. To ...
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Exposures, illnesses, or outbreaks involving the suspected intentional use of biological or toxic agents require epidemiologists to work with nontraditional partners, specifically law enforcement. To increase effectiveness, public health and law enforcement must collaborate on timely identification, notification, assessment, and investigation. The process begins by establishing relationships between appropriate public health and law enforcement points of contact. Once an event is recognized, and if that threat involves a biological or toxic agent, public health and law enforcement can conduct a joint criminal–epidemiologic (crim–epi) investigation, which increases the effectiveness of the investigation through the exchange of real-time information. Although instances of bioterrorism are infrequent, the potential use of biological or toxic agents for this purpose by individuals and groups can have enormous consequences and are likely to remain a persistent threat. Only through a productive partnership can public health and law enforcement effectively respond to intentional uses of biological and toxic agents.Less
Exposures, illnesses, or outbreaks involving the suspected intentional use of biological or toxic agents require epidemiologists to work with nontraditional partners, specifically law enforcement. To increase effectiveness, public health and law enforcement must collaborate on timely identification, notification, assessment, and investigation. The process begins by establishing relationships between appropriate public health and law enforcement points of contact. Once an event is recognized, and if that threat involves a biological or toxic agent, public health and law enforcement can conduct a joint criminal–epidemiologic (crim–epi) investigation, which increases the effectiveness of the investigation through the exchange of real-time information. Although instances of bioterrorism are infrequent, the potential use of biological or toxic agents for this purpose by individuals and groups can have enormous consequences and are likely to remain a persistent threat. Only through a productive partnership can public health and law enforcement effectively respond to intentional uses of biological and toxic agents.
Benjamin Bristow, Dickson Diamond, Moon Kim, and Alonzo Plough
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199892761
- eISBN:
- 9780199301515
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199892761.003.0025
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
Following the September 11th terrorist attacks and anthrax attacks shortly after, the need was recognized for public health departments to partner with law enforcement and federal security agencies ...
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Following the September 11th terrorist attacks and anthrax attacks shortly after, the need was recognized for public health departments to partner with law enforcement and federal security agencies to enhance early detection capabilities and response to threats of terrorism. Building collaborative relationships with these agencies to facilitate effective information sharing, and conducting joint-investigations requires public health departments to develop mechanisms for routinely communicating and jointly assessing threat information with law enforcement and other intelligence agencies. This chapter describes the infrastructure established within the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health which allows for such information sharing and provides examples of several joint-investigations conducted by the Department with its law enforcement partners.Less
Following the September 11th terrorist attacks and anthrax attacks shortly after, the need was recognized for public health departments to partner with law enforcement and federal security agencies to enhance early detection capabilities and response to threats of terrorism. Building collaborative relationships with these agencies to facilitate effective information sharing, and conducting joint-investigations requires public health departments to develop mechanisms for routinely communicating and jointly assessing threat information with law enforcement and other intelligence agencies. This chapter describes the infrastructure established within the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health which allows for such information sharing and provides examples of several joint-investigations conducted by the Department with its law enforcement partners.
Melanie Armstrong
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520292765
- eISBN:
- 9780520966147
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292765.003.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Bioterrorism has emerged as a prominent fear of the modern age, alongside revolutions in biological science and changing practices of warfare. Bioterrorism is also an important, and often overlooked, ...
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Bioterrorism has emerged as a prominent fear of the modern age, alongside revolutions in biological science and changing practices of warfare. Bioterrorism is also an important, and often overlooked, site for studying the cultural politics of nature. Nature is at the center of contemporary concerns as never before, but its forms are no longer recognizable in a traditional sense. Massive expenditures on disease control over the last century have been a central site for the production of nature. Institutions of health, war, and science built around modern natures, are setting new terms for biological citizenship and environmental futures for the 21st century. The introduction overviews key histories of bioterrorism and theoretical underpinnings for a critical study of biosecurity.Less
Bioterrorism has emerged as a prominent fear of the modern age, alongside revolutions in biological science and changing practices of warfare. Bioterrorism is also an important, and often overlooked, site for studying the cultural politics of nature. Nature is at the center of contemporary concerns as never before, but its forms are no longer recognizable in a traditional sense. Massive expenditures on disease control over the last century have been a central site for the production of nature. Institutions of health, war, and science built around modern natures, are setting new terms for biological citizenship and environmental futures for the 21st century. The introduction overviews key histories of bioterrorism and theoretical underpinnings for a critical study of biosecurity.
Melanie Armstrong
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520292765
- eISBN:
- 9780520966147
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292765.003.0005
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Following 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax attacks, the U.S. government enlisted the public health industry in homeland security and defense, bringing weapons like disease surveillance and life ...
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Following 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax attacks, the U.S. government enlisted the public health industry in homeland security and defense, bringing weapons like disease surveillance and life science research to the war against terrorism. As Congress poured out funding for bioterrorism preparedness, agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rearranged themselves around new logics of biosecurity. In the decade after 9/11, CDC brought its surveillance, science, and communication practices to bear on questions of national security, and became a federal organizing agency for emergency response and pharmaceutical stockpile stewardship. The political transformations at the CDC exemplify how bioterrorism changed the role of government in disease management, along with the specific work of the nation’s largest public health agency.Less
Following 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax attacks, the U.S. government enlisted the public health industry in homeland security and defense, bringing weapons like disease surveillance and life science research to the war against terrorism. As Congress poured out funding for bioterrorism preparedness, agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rearranged themselves around new logics of biosecurity. In the decade after 9/11, CDC brought its surveillance, science, and communication practices to bear on questions of national security, and became a federal organizing agency for emergency response and pharmaceutical stockpile stewardship. The political transformations at the CDC exemplify how bioterrorism changed the role of government in disease management, along with the specific work of the nation’s largest public health agency.
Melanie Armstrong
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520292765
- eISBN:
- 9780520966147
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292765.003.0006
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Because no large-scale bioterrorist attack has happened in the modern age, planning for bioterrorism requires imagination. Simulations, ranging from computer-generated models to large-scale ...
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Because no large-scale bioterrorist attack has happened in the modern age, planning for bioterrorism requires imagination. Simulations, ranging from computer-generated models to large-scale role-playing events involving thousands of actors, have gained credibility as a scientific tool for calculating the outcomes of violent events. Expanding use of simulation raises questions about how modeling and scenario planning gain tenacity in the current political climate, used by planners and policymakers to generate knowledge of the future. In bioterrorism preparedness, simulations and scenarios matter because they rationalize political actions that manage human life, individually and collectively, in the present moment. A case study of a terrorism training center in Playas, New Mexico, demonstrates the material and political effects of scenarios and simulation.Less
Because no large-scale bioterrorist attack has happened in the modern age, planning for bioterrorism requires imagination. Simulations, ranging from computer-generated models to large-scale role-playing events involving thousands of actors, have gained credibility as a scientific tool for calculating the outcomes of violent events. Expanding use of simulation raises questions about how modeling and scenario planning gain tenacity in the current political climate, used by planners and policymakers to generate knowledge of the future. In bioterrorism preparedness, simulations and scenarios matter because they rationalize political actions that manage human life, individually and collectively, in the present moment. A case study of a terrorism training center in Playas, New Mexico, demonstrates the material and political effects of scenarios and simulation.
Melanie Armstrong
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520292765
- eISBN:
- 9780520966147
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292765.003.0008
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Fears of bioterrorism persist more than a decade after 9/11, continuing to shape public health practice and scientific research. The conclusion revisits two themes of the book: that the materiality ...
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Fears of bioterrorism persist more than a decade after 9/11, continuing to shape public health practice and scientific research. The conclusion revisits two themes of the book: that the materiality of microbes matters, and that by changing what it means to be human and a biological citizen, microbes create new systems of governance for a world full of unspecified risks. Whether there exists a biological threat or not, the work to prepare the nation is shaping citizens’ lives. I draw attention to the outcomes of bioterrorism preparedness not because they are inevitable consequences of the search for national security, but because we have the ability to make different choices to create the biological future in which we want to live.Less
Fears of bioterrorism persist more than a decade after 9/11, continuing to shape public health practice and scientific research. The conclusion revisits two themes of the book: that the materiality of microbes matters, and that by changing what it means to be human and a biological citizen, microbes create new systems of governance for a world full of unspecified risks. Whether there exists a biological threat or not, the work to prepare the nation is shaping citizens’ lives. I draw attention to the outcomes of bioterrorism preparedness not because they are inevitable consequences of the search for national security, but because we have the ability to make different choices to create the biological future in which we want to live.
Lawrence Douglas, Austin Sarat, and Laura K. Donohue
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804787420
- eISBN:
- 9780804788861
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804787420.003.0004
- Subject:
- Law, Comparative Law
Broadly historical in its perspective, Laura Donohue tells a story of the blurring of categories. From the founding of the Republic through the end of the twentieth century, the legal authority to ...
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Broadly historical in its perspective, Laura Donohue tells a story of the blurring of categories. From the founding of the Republic through the end of the twentieth century, the legal authority to respond to the threat of pandemic disease dramatically shifted from the police powers of the states to those of the federal government. The events of 9/11, however, triggered a shift in thinking, as the threat posed by disease has more recently come to be seen through a “national security framework” and “through the lens of war.” Donohue worries that as categories continue to blur, the consequences will be difficult to foresee and control. Were a pandemic to strike the United States, the initial chaos would make it all but impossible to determine whether the outbreak was caused by natural factors or by a purposive act of biowarfare/terrorism. In either case, the response would require the coordinated efforts of institutions of civilian governance and the military.Less
Broadly historical in its perspective, Laura Donohue tells a story of the blurring of categories. From the founding of the Republic through the end of the twentieth century, the legal authority to respond to the threat of pandemic disease dramatically shifted from the police powers of the states to those of the federal government. The events of 9/11, however, triggered a shift in thinking, as the threat posed by disease has more recently come to be seen through a “national security framework” and “through the lens of war.” Donohue worries that as categories continue to blur, the consequences will be difficult to foresee and control. Were a pandemic to strike the United States, the initial chaos would make it all but impossible to determine whether the outbreak was caused by natural factors or by a purposive act of biowarfare/terrorism. In either case, the response would require the coordinated efforts of institutions of civilian governance and the military.
Frank L. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801452710
- eISBN:
- 9780801455162
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801452710.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
This chapter studies civilian biodefense as a “natural experiment” to compare with research, development, acquisition, and doctrine in the military. Foreshadowed during the Korean War, the rise of ...
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This chapter studies civilian biodefense as a “natural experiment” to compare with research, development, acquisition, and doctrine in the military. Foreshadowed during the Korean War, the rise of civilian biodefense began in earnest during the 1990s when prominent scientists constructed a new relationship between bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases. These ideas helped situate biological weapons inside the biomedical frame at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), enabling it to respond to increasing demands from the president and Congress. Unlike the military, the HHS lobbied hard to win funds money on the table for biodefense rather than let the funding go to the Department of Homeland Security after September 11 and the anthrax attacks of 2001. Moreover, the HHS did not rely on the military's inaccurate stereotypes.Less
This chapter studies civilian biodefense as a “natural experiment” to compare with research, development, acquisition, and doctrine in the military. Foreshadowed during the Korean War, the rise of civilian biodefense began in earnest during the 1990s when prominent scientists constructed a new relationship between bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases. These ideas helped situate biological weapons inside the biomedical frame at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), enabling it to respond to increasing demands from the president and Congress. Unlike the military, the HHS lobbied hard to win funds money on the table for biodefense rather than let the funding go to the Department of Homeland Security after September 11 and the anthrax attacks of 2001. Moreover, the HHS did not rely on the military's inaccurate stereotypes.
Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801452888
- eISBN:
- 9780801471933
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801452888.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Security Studies
This introductory chapter explains why the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) halted Erasmus Medical Center's plan to publish a major finding about the H5N1 bird flu. The Erasmus ...
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This introductory chapter explains why the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) halted Erasmus Medical Center's plan to publish a major finding about the H5N1 bird flu. The Erasmus team, led by Ron Fouchier, had created a mutant strain of H5N1 that spread more easily among mammals. NSABB requested that scientific details be deleted before publication for fear that they might be used by terrorist groups. Based on this case, the book addresses the question: Does the threat of bioterrorism automatically increase with progress in science? It claims that the challenge in developing biological weapons is not the acquisition of scientific data and tools but in the use of the material and technologies required for the biological weapon development.Less
This introductory chapter explains why the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) halted Erasmus Medical Center's plan to publish a major finding about the H5N1 bird flu. The Erasmus team, led by Ron Fouchier, had created a mutant strain of H5N1 that spread more easily among mammals. NSABB requested that scientific details be deleted before publication for fear that they might be used by terrorist groups. Based on this case, the book addresses the question: Does the threat of bioterrorism automatically increase with progress in science? It claims that the challenge in developing biological weapons is not the acquisition of scientific data and tools but in the use of the material and technologies required for the biological weapon development.
Thomas D. Beamish
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780804784429
- eISBN:
- 9780804794657
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804784429.003.0007
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
The Introduction develops the context within which the federal government’s biodefense plans emerged and on which they were justified, including 9/11, the anthrax attacks, and the successive menace ...
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The Introduction develops the context within which the federal government’s biodefense plans emerged and on which they were justified, including 9/11, the anthrax attacks, and the successive menace presented by West Nile virus, SARS, and avian influenza and most recently Ebola. After discussing the context and moral panic that ensued over terrorism, which were used to justify the new federal biodefense agenda, the Introduction then turns to local manifestations of those plans and responses to them–the community cases whose civic responses are comparatively explored in Community at Risk. The Introduction then develops key terms and concepts that are relied on to investigate and understand the community cases as well as the research strategy deployed to gather relevant data, analyze it, and draw conclusions. The Introduction ends with a brief summary of how the book is organized by chapter.Less
The Introduction develops the context within which the federal government’s biodefense plans emerged and on which they were justified, including 9/11, the anthrax attacks, and the successive menace presented by West Nile virus, SARS, and avian influenza and most recently Ebola. After discussing the context and moral panic that ensued over terrorism, which were used to justify the new federal biodefense agenda, the Introduction then turns to local manifestations of those plans and responses to them–the community cases whose civic responses are comparatively explored in Community at Risk. The Introduction then develops key terms and concepts that are relied on to investigate and understand the community cases as well as the research strategy deployed to gather relevant data, analyze it, and draw conclusions. The Introduction ends with a brief summary of how the book is organized by chapter.
Mark Russi
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- November 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190662677
- eISBN:
- 9780190662707
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0016
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter describes various biological hazards and their impact on workers and others. A major focus of the chapter is biological hazards in healthcare and laboratory settings, including exposure ...
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This chapter describes various biological hazards and their impact on workers and others. A major focus of the chapter is biological hazards in healthcare and laboratory settings, including exposure to bloodborne pathogens and prevention of diseases related to them. Sections deal with sharps injuries, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases that can be acquired in the work environment via direct contact, droplet or airborne spread, or fecal-oral transmission. In addition, infectious agents spread by animal contact or arthropod vectors in a broad range of settings will be addressed. Newly emerging infectious or re-emerging infections, such as those due to H5N1 and novel H1N1 influenza, Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS), and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) as well as agents associated with bioterrorism are discussed.Less
This chapter describes various biological hazards and their impact on workers and others. A major focus of the chapter is biological hazards in healthcare and laboratory settings, including exposure to bloodborne pathogens and prevention of diseases related to them. Sections deal with sharps injuries, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases that can be acquired in the work environment via direct contact, droplet or airborne spread, or fecal-oral transmission. In addition, infectious agents spread by animal contact or arthropod vectors in a broad range of settings will be addressed. Newly emerging infectious or re-emerging infections, such as those due to H5N1 and novel H1N1 influenza, Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS), and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) as well as agents associated with bioterrorism are discussed.
