How real is the threat, and how prepared are we?
The world changed on September 11, 2001, and again on October 4, when the first case of inhalational anthrax in the United States raised worldwide fears of bioterrorism. Although the threat of bioterrorism in Australia has been assessed as low,1 defence and civil authorities had upgraded preparations before the 2000 Olympics.2 Those plans, coordinated by Emergency Management Australia, provided a basis for responses by state emergency services, health services and postal services to the numerous false alarms, "white powder" incidents and hoaxes that followed the US events. No anthrax spores or human anthrax cases associated with these incidents have been detected in Australia, but understandably they have caused considerable public anxiety. In retrospect, it now appears that the anthrax-containing letters in the US were probably of domestic origin, with no targets outside that country.3
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra, ACT.
- 1. Robertson AG. Bioterrorism — an Australian perspective. ADF Health 2000; 1: 99-106.
- 2. Emergency Management Australia. Health aspects of chemical and radiological hazards. Provisional ed. Australian emergency manuals series. Manual 3, Vol 2, Part 3. Canberra: EMA, 2000.
- 3. MacKenzie D. Home truths. Did the anthrax attacker get their supplies from a military lab? New Scientist 2001; Dec 22/29: 5.
- 4. Bioterrorism: safeguarding the public's health [editorial]. Lancet 2001; 358: 1283.
- 5. Henderson DA. Smallpox. Clinical and epidemiologic features. Emerg Infect Dis 1999; 5: 537-539.
- 6. Statement to the press by the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland – World Health Organization announces updated guidance on smallpox vaccination. Statement WHO/16, 2 Oct 2001. Available at <http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2001/en/state2001-16.html> Accessed Feb 2002.
- 7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim smallpox response plan and guidelines, 26 November 2001. Available at <http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/index.asp> Accessed Feb 2002.