Barbara Boxer: “smallpox is a deadly disease that if not treated within the few first days after initial exposure, can cause death in 1…”

“smallpox is a deadly disease that if not treated within the few first days after initial exposure, can cause death in 1 out of 3 cases. Clearly, this is not a disease to take lightly. The problem with smallpox, unlike our recent experience with anthrax, is that it is highly contagious, and not simply infectious. Thus, one person can spread the disease to hundreds of people within a matter of days. In this new climate of threatened bioterrorist attacks, it is essential that we prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario and not simply sit back and hope for the best. This fact was highlighted in disturbing detail in the ``Dark Winter'' exercise conducted by the Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies at John Hopkins University. ``Dark Winter'' showed that an aerosol release of smallpox virus would spread easily, and that the dose needed to cause infection is very small. The exercise showed that 20 confirmed cases could result in as many as 300,000 additional infections and 100,000 deaths in just 3 short weeks. In light of this, the Federal Government is working quickly to ensure that public health officials at all levels of government are able to work together should an outbreak occur. I applaud the steps already taken by the Centers for Disease Control to vaccinate some of its first response personnel and to ensure the safety of those vaccinations.”