The report, requested by Schumer and members of the New York congressional delegation in October 1999, credits New York for responding effectively to the natural outbreak, but paints a troubling picture of a nation unprepared for a bio-terrorist attack. While New York did an effective job of responding to last year's West Nile outbreak, the GAO's study exposes gaping holes in the nation's defenses against a more serious natural outbreak or deliberate biological assault. It's clear from this report that we have a lot of work to do to protect our communities from a bio-terrorist assault. We can't afford to wait for an attack to safeguard American families.
Diseases know no borders.
The West Nile virus was classified level 3, and according to the report, fewer than 20 veterinary labs across the nation are able to test for level 3 pathogens. This is particularly troubling since most infectious diseases reach humans through animals. Local hospitals, labs, and health departments, which would be the first line of defense for a bio-terrorist attack, would be quickly overwhelmed by a successful assault. According to the report, even though there were a relatively small number of human infections, the 1999 West Nile outbreak severely taxed the resources of the New York City Department of Health. The report also found that the Centers for Disease Control would have been unable to respond to a second viral outbreak because it was completely preoccupied with West Nile.