Killer Microbes

The gee-whiz devices described in “Attack of the Killer Microbes” (Aug. 19) may be useful for troops and disaster crews facing biowarfare threats in other lands, but what about the general public’s safety and the real threat of bioterrorism in this country? If the smallpox virus or anthrax spores were released in a crowded shopping mall or large building anywhere in the U.S., the death toll could be in the hundreds to thousands.

Smallpox would spread in the hospitals and in the community. Emergency rooms and hospitals would be overwhelmed. There is a limited stock of deteriorating smallpox vaccine. How far would it go? Would it need to be rationed? If so, who would get it? Are there enough antibiotics available for widespread and immediate prevention of infection after exposure of a community to anthrax or plague? The “just-in-time” strategy for manufacturing of drugs means smaller inventories of antibiotics now. These are some of the tough questions about preparedness against bioterrorism the article did not address.

The Pentagon may be funding innovative research that results in new products from biotech firms. But this funding of high-tech research may be at the cost of more basic, civil defense-type planning for bioterrorism disasters and of low-tech measures like the smallpox vaccine.

ALAN BARBOUR MD

Newport Beach