Nevada prepares for possible attacks by bioterrorists

Monday, Aug. 21, 2000 | 3:54 a.m.

The idea that a terrorist group might release a biological agent may be remote but can't be ignored, said Randall Todd, state epidemiologist and chief of the Bureau of Disease Control and Intervention.

"It may seem kind of sensational and scary, but we're not putting out information to frighten the general public," he said.

Grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - almost $400,000 last year and $500,000 expected this year - are being used by the state to prepare for a bioterrorism attack.

A survey of local health agencies by the state suggests that the planning money is needed. That's because half the surveyed local health agencies lacked high-speed Internet access, most lacked adequate training for bioterrorist incidents, and three-quarters didn't have an emergency response plan to deal with a bioterrorist attack.

Todd said the agency wants to improve awareness and knowledge among local health officials of the likely agents to be used by bioterrorists.

He added that more laboratory support is needed, along with a communications system so information about an attack can be disseminated quickly.

The initial grant was used to create the Health Alert Network, which will be part of a nationwide information and communication system. This year's grant will allow for the further development of the network and for the initial development of the first priority - the early detection of bioterrorism events.

Leonard Weinberg, a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Reno said the likelihood of a biological attack is remote, but the potential for catastrophe from such an attack makes some level of planning appropriate.

Weinberg added it was the deadly sarin gas attack in a Japanese subway by a cult leader in 1995 that sent a wake-up call to the world that the potential for chemical or biological terrorism attacks was real.

Las Vegas had an anthrax scare in 1998 when two men were arrested in possession of what was believed to have been the deadly toxin. Charges were dismissed when tests revealed the substance was a harmless veterinary vaccine used to prevent an anthrax infection.