Agents of Bioterrorism by Geoffrey Zubay

Author:Geoffrey Zubay [Zubay, Geoffrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Biological & Chemical Warfare, Science, Experiments & Projects, Political Science, Security (National & International), Terrorism, General
ISBN: 9780231518130
Google: AwkVgNPRnKoC
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2008-02-14T22:26:58+00:00

EFFECT OF THE OUTBREAK ON GLOBAL RESEARCH EFFORTS

Although the SARS outbreak did result in over 8000 cases worldwide, the biodefense system can be credited for successfully containing the epidemic. The outbreak functioned as a real test for a new global network of disease-fighting organizations that had been established in 2000.

In 2000, coordination efforts led to a meeting in Geneva with representatives from 67 institutions—including laboratories, universities, and charities—to create the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN),6 the purpose of which was to direct the activities in future disease outbreaks. Prior to the establishment of the GOARN, typically a multitude of agencies would join the fray when there was a disease outbreak; there would be little or no coordination among the agencies because no one was in charge. As a result, the scene of a disease outbreak was chaotic and often characterized by rivalry among different groups. As Ray Arthur, associate director of the CDC, stated, “It was clear that there had to be a better way of doing business.”6

The 2003 SARS outbreak gave the WHO and the GOARN credibility as the directors of global outbreak response. When the GOARN was established in 2000, many saw it as a bunch of well-educated administrators incapable of a hands-on approach. The SARS outbreak allowed the GOARN and the WHO to prove their effectiveness in a dire situation. They implemented classic isolation and quarantine procedures that were successful in containing the disease. The GOARN also utilized modern communication technologies so that laboratories worldwide could simultaneously investigate clinical samples in real time. This resulted in the isolation of the causative agent and the development of a series of diagnostic tests for the disease. Thanks to the SARS experience, the GOARN also built up an intensive working relationship with such countries as China, Vietnam, and Thailand with whom they had never collaborated in the past. Additionally, the SARS episode marked the beginning of a much stronger presence of the WHO in the media. When the SARS outbreak erupted, teleconferences were held almost daily, and the WHO’s formerly dull website was continually updated with fresh information. The SARS outbreak proved that the GOARN and the WHO could coordinate the containment of a global disease outbreak.

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