The Biological War Threat Anthrax, Black Plague, and Bird Flu , Oh , My !

1. The Biological War ThreatAnthrax, Black Plague, and Bird Flu, Oh, My! Kimothy L. Smith, DVM PhD

2. Nevada Counties with Cases of Anthrax

3. Played in Las Vegas at the House of Blues in Feb 2012 MUSIC OF MASS DESTRUCTION

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

10. Recommended Reading

11. Biological Warfare Programs • Country Program Status and Sverdlovsk • Biological Weapons Convention • Military vs. Civilian and Agricultural Threats

13. Sverdlovsk Anthrax Incident 1979

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 • AumShinrikyo and Amerithrax • Biodefense Spending vs. Readiness • DIY Bio and Synthetic Biology • “The Birds are Already Doing That…”

20. Aum Shinrikyo Anthrax Attack 1993 Aum leader Chizuo Matsumoto aka Shoko Asahara

22. Sterne Livestock Vaccine Strain Kameido (Aum Shinrikyo) Isolate vrrC1 vrrC2 • Both isolates lack pXO2 plasmid • Fragment sizes match for 7 loci vrrA vrrB1 vrrB2 CG3 pXO1-AAT

24. CSF smear Thoracic radiograph

26. Bruce Ivins

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?

28. Biodefense Spending Federal Agency Biodefense Funding, FY2010-FY2011 Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Volume 8, Number 2, 2010

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

32. The Cat’s Out of the Bag

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

36. Questions or Comments?