Nevada Prepares for the Worst--Bioterrorism Attacks.

Many folks think of a bioterrorist attack as a theme for paperback thrillers or science fiction novels, but Nevada is using grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prepare for the real thing. And the 34 million tourists who visit Las Vegas each year, plus the state's residents, should be thankful.

The state understands that the possible release of smallpox, anthrax, bubonic plague or other biological agents is remote, but the threat shouldn't be ignored.

"Our task is to be prepared so public health entities, the emergency medical community, the hazardous materials people and law enforcement are all working together to make sure that, if an event occurs, we handle it as quickly as possible with a minimum number of casualties," says Randall Todd, state epidemiologist and bureau chief.

After a bogus scare, the Nevada Legislature passed a 1999 law making it a felony to possess, stockpile or threaten to use anthrax or other biological agents.

Then after surveying its local health agencies, Nevada took action. It found that 50 percent of the agencies lacked high-speed Internet access, 94 percent lacked adequate emergency preparedness training for bioterrorist incidents, 46 percent did not have broadcast facsimile capabilities for emergency notifications and 77 percent did not have an emergency response plan that addressed a bioterrorist attack.

The initial CDC grant was used to create the Health Alert Network to enable the state to be part of a nationwide information and communications system with early warning and response functions, A second grant will expand the network and allow for the early detection of bioterrorism.