Bioterrorism: Assessing the Threat

Today's hearing is part of the oversight work this subcommittee has conducted and will be conducting on bioterrorism and the Department of Homeland Security's biosurveillance capabilities. The anthrax attacks in 2001 killed 5 people and sickened at least 20 others. These attacks showed both the physical and psychological impacts of a bioterrorism event. They were a reminder that a small amount of a biological agent can have a large impact. In his 2003 report, "Catastrophic Bioterrorism, What is to Be Done," Richard Danzig noted that the 1 gram of anthrax, which is about a sugar-packet size, was sent to Senator Leahy; it contained a trillion spores, an amount that if effectively dispersed, could kill thousands of people and could cause great economic damage. Over the course of time, people have lost sight of the potential impacts of such an attack and why we must remain vigilant and prepared; bioweapons can be developed surreptitiously, transported with relative ease, and deployed over time.