Smallpox outbreak outside US, are we
safe?
Single outbreak might turn into a global
nightmare
Family physician MD. Marshal Yun
"Rumors of smallpox as a
biological weapon in the North Korea arsenal carry the threat that this ugly
virus just might rear its lethal head again."
On October 4th, 2003, 60 minutes had proclaimed
the possibility of outbreak of smallpox in Korea.
Why Korea?
Russia have been working on the smallpox
bioterrorism, and after the collapse of USSR, ton's of smallpox army had shifted
in to Iran, Iraq and North Korea.
Many experts suspected North Korea have
samples of the smallpox virus. A Russian intelligence report made public in 1993
accused Pyongyang of having a smallpox weapon, though that has not been publicly
corroborated.
A declassified U.S. Defense Intelligence
Agency report from May 1994 also quotes an unnamed source saying Russian
scientists gave North Korea smallpox samples. 1)
What boder's us is that in the blood sample of
the North Korean army, smallpox Ab was found and there were also booster shot
scar at their shoulder.
North Korea had been vaccinating their army
ever since the Korean war. It shows the possibility that North Korea is
preparing for the bioterrorism by smallpox.
But what does smallpox outbreak in Korea have to do with the US security?
Once you pop, you can't stop?
There are group of scientist like US Institute
of Medicine who are calling for a shift of focus away from vaccination against
smallpox and towards general preparedness for an attack.
But no matter how well US government prepare
for the bioterrorism , it is impossible to stop smallpox leaking in from outside
of US, for example by the plain, or by boat.
Smallpox is highly infectious and spread
primarily by the inhalation of air born droplets, and secondarily by physical
contact. It is known that a single invisible droplet of exhalant travels in air
about ten feet from its human source and contains far more virus particle than
is needed to infect a single individual.
But experiment done by KGB 30 years ago at the
town near Kazakhstan came up with more shocking results.
"Only 20 grams of the smallpox was released and
it drifted 15 kms in air before it infected a live target." says Gen. Pyoter
Burgasov at the interview with 60 minutes , who was once a Soviet Union's deputy
health minister.
“If 30 people inhaled it, they would infect
300, starting an epidemic of smallpox," 2)
Because of its high infectivity, Smallpox is
classified as a hot agent in Biosafty Level 4 category, which means that a
single case, anywhere in the world would be considered a global medical
emergency. 3)
Outbreak of smallpox in other country is not
just of fire next door. Smallpox outbreak anywhere out of US is a major threat
to US security and can give direct effect in about several days.
That is why we should keep on eye on smallpox
and prepare for the worst case , like getting a booster shot and gathering
information about smallpox.
1) Smallpox Caches Concern U.S.
CBS news WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2002
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/06/attack/main528380.shtml
2) Deadly Germs At Home In Russia.
CBS news 60 minutes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/09/60minutes/main553155.shtml
3) Smallpox, Diseases Associated with Biological
Warfare. Robert Trupin,BS
http://www.nursingceu.com/NCEU/courses/smallpox/