Ireland could cope with bio-terrorism, say experts

The Republic could cope reasonably well with a disease outbreak caused by biological terrorism but "shortcomings" remain, according to the head of an expert committee formed by the Government to assess the risks.

A world shortage of vaccines for smallpox was a particular worry according to Prof William Hall, director of UCD's Virus Reference Laboratory and Consultant Microbiologist at St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin.

Prof Hall is chairman of the Expert Committee for Contingency Planning for Biological Threats. It was formed almost a month ago and has met three times since October 1st.

"We are trying to deal with the potential threat in the short term," he said. The group, comprising officials from the Department of Health, the Irish Medicines Board, the National Disease Surveillance Centre and the Eastern Regional Health Authority, has also been asked to formulate a long-term response to bio-warfare.

The State starts from a comparatively strong position because of earlier planning for other types of disease outbreaks, Prof Hall said. "We have gone through the planning for natural pandemics of agents like influenza." Planning for hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola is also in place, he added. "Relative to many European countries, we are better prepared. In the short term we are in reasonably good shape."

He does not believe that anthrax, the bacterial agent currently being distributed by post in the US, would pose much of a threat here. "In my view it wouldn't be an agent of mass attack here. Ireland isn't going to be a location of primary attack," he said. He pointed out, however, that there are many large US companies here, any of which could be targeted.

"My major concern is smallpox," he stated, particularly as a "secondary" effect caused through infection of Irish people while abroad. It is "highly infectious and very hardy" and is easily transmitted from person to person. With a two-week incubation period, a person could encounter the disease and then bring it home to cause secondary infection here.

Smallpox had been vaccinated out of existence after a worldwide programme and as a result very little vaccine was now produced, he said.

"Anthrax you can treat, with smallpox we have a major problem," Prof Hall said. Clinicians were also uncertain whether modern agents would work against the disease.

The basis of the Republic's response would be to detect, diagnose and then contain the disease outbreak. "The most important issue is containment, isolating the patient to prevent further transmission," Prof Hall said.

Doctors would hope to get some alert of disease outbreaks abroad which would then give the Republic some warning. He also believes that the Government would have to designate specific hospitals to handle bio-terrorism cases.

The UK was also prepared for an anthrax attack according to Britain's chief Medical Officer. Prof Liam Donaldson yesterday told the BBC there was no evidence of an "immediate threat or risk", but revealed that preparations had been under way in the last fortnight in an effort to counter the disease. The government had secured the "necessary stores" of antibiotics and other equipment, he said.

--(Additional reporting PA)