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AFUW-ACT
Inc. Meeting Report
Topic: Bioterrorism, SARS, and Monkeypox
Speaker: Prof. Frank Fenner
Smallpox was a most feared disease although it was eradicated in 1970s.SARS
AND MONKEY POX are emerging infections. In 1928 the Soviet Union was
developing typhus as a bioweapon but that faded out. In 1942 during
World War 11 some countries were planning biowarfare. In 1972 a United
Nations convention banned biological and chemical weapons - 145 countries
signed up; the UK and France closed down their bioweapons factories.
The Soviet Union set up an enormous program to match the west’s nuclear
program - 70 thousand people were involved. In 1995 the UN believed
there were 17 countries had biological weapons - USA, Taiwan, Vietnam
et al. A cult in Japan experimented with encephalitis and anthrax.
SMALLPOX - could be used as a bioweapon and as people are not vaccinated
against it, it could become very widespread. Incubation period is 10
-14 days, the carrier is well beforehand so people with it could be
anywhere in the world. Smallpox spreads mostly to family members or
to people in a bus. Diagnosis is made from the appearance, which is
different to chicken pox. All contacts need to be vaccinated. Edward
Jenner in1798 developed a vaccine but it has taken a long time to eradicate.
There are a lot of possible complications from the vaccine - eczema,
and immune deficiencies. There seemed a possibility of a smallpox attack
so there was much discussion in the US but it was resisted by those
who knew about it - need to know of a first case and where it came from.
PRECAUTIONS against bioterrorism in the US - first responders were to
be Doctors and Nurses; special hospitals were designated. General public
didn't want to be vaccinated; military couldn't say no. For the OLYMPIC
Games Australia set up a special task force in case of a bio-terrorist
attack. The Infectious Disease committee set up stores of antibiotics
and ensured good communication.
NEW HUMAN DISEASES have been emerging since the 1970s particularly those
resistant to antibiotics and these will continue as populations increase.
SARS was in Southern China in November 2002 and was not recognized till
a Doctor came to Hong Kong - stayed in a hotel and infected 15 others.
It spread rapidly till by mid-May there were 80,000 cases round the
world - the first in globalisation. Where did it come from? A study
was done on market animals as well as wild animals.
MONKEY POX – presents similarly to smallpox but lymph nodes are swollen.
It was recognised in Sweden in 1969. A special investigation was carried
out in Zaire. A pet trader imported many different animals for pets
in the USA and this could have been the cause of disease - a Gambian
rat infected large numbers of prairie dogs in a number of states; many
people caught the disease though it was milder than in Africa. With
increasing numbers of population and with pressure on the environment
there will be more diseases.
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