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July 22, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"University of Michigan Has Mock Bio-Terror Attack"

Detroit Free Press (www.freep.com) (07/22/02); Askari, Emilia

Michigan state officials got an education in containing a bioterrorism attack as doctors, Red Cross volunteers, state police, and others underwent a mock-small pox outbreak on Sunday. Despite the state being among the best prepared for just such a real scenario, authorities still say it is likely a sick person could slip past the best surveillance and containment efforts in the airport and make it onto a university campus, where the airborne disease would spread quickly.  Dr. Sandro Cinto, the public health professor responsible for organizing the mock scenario as part of his Bioterrorism and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction course, said the exercises can be depressing as they generally show weaknesses in plans of that sort, more so than strengths.  Though state officials have been preparing for just such a real scenario, the exercise on Sunday demonstrated the uncertainty of how to proceed if a airline passenger was suspected of having smallpox.  Additionally, a challenge faced by doctors and nurses is the 24 hour-wait for test results can even confirm the disease, during which time, they say, all medical personnel in contact with the patient would have to remain quarantined with the patient.  If a positive test result comes back, then everyone would be vaccinated, which can be effective against the deadliness of the disease provided it is administered within four days of infection.  Going forward, said health workers, they would immediately suspect bioterrorism if someone came in infected with smallpox, particularly because the disease is considered eradicated in nature.

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