Preventing A Smallpox Outbreak
Recent anthrax attacks put the spotlight on the nation's vulnerability to bio-terrorism. On The Saturday Early Show, Dr. Emily Senay gives an overview of the efforts of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to protect against biological attacks of the future.
Smallpox is one of the most deadly and contagious diseases known to man. Completely eradicated in the late '70s, but now looms as a potential weapon of bio-terror, one that could threaten the whole world. Experts at the CDC not only have to imagine an outbreak, but also prepare to respond quickly before it gets out of control.
In a world where a deadly virus is also a potential biological weapon, the CDC prepares to deal with the worst of them.
"There's lots of terrible illnesses out there. We are both concerned about them and we try to prepare for their eventual use," says CDC Director Dr. Jeffrey Koplan.
He is all too familiar with one of the most dangerous, smallpox. As a young doctor working in Bangladesh, he was part of the team that eradicated smallpox globally.
He says, back then, he never imagined smallpox would rear its head as a weapon of bio-terror.
"That may have shown a lack of foresight, but it would have been very hard to husband the energy and zeal and intensity required for disease eradication if you thought somebody was going to use this for criminal purposes later," Dr. Koplan says.
The best protection against smallpox is the vaccine. Although current supplies are too low to protect everyone, Dr. Koplan believes the same strategy for eradicating the disease could also be used to contain a smallpox attack. Vaccine would only be given to people who come in contact with those already infected.
"One can protect against infection or the illness from the infection of smallpox in the first four days after exposure to the virus, which gives us a window of opportunity to come in and vaccinate people and prevent the illness," he explains. "Nevertheless, no one says control of a smallpox outbreak would be easy, it would be hard work."
Hundreds of millions of doses of smallpox vaccine have recently been ordered by the government to prepare for the worst. But Dr. Koplan has serious concerns about its widespread use.
"I personally would not recommend it," he says. "Things to keep in mind are widespread use of smallpox vaccine will result in well over a hundred or possibly several hundred deaths a year from the use of the vaccine, many people who get the vaccine will get side reactions some of them severe some of them requiring hospitalization."
As supplies of smallpox vaccine become more plentiful, we will be able to implement other strategies for containing a bio-terror outbreak. One idea for the use of extra supplies of vaccine as it becomes available is for vaccinating first responders, people like E.R. physicians and other doctors who are likely to come into contact first.
For more information about the CDC Smallpox Outbeak Response Plan and Guidelines, Click Here.
And take a look at CBSNews.com's Anthrax Interactive.
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