Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 Mar 2003

Vol. 562 No. 6

Written Answers - Biological Attacks.

Paddy McHugh

Question:

37 Mr. McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans his Department has made if Ireland becomes inadvertently involved in a bio terrorist attack on another country; and the training, equipment and contingency plans that his Department has available if such an event should occur. [4560/03]

Paddy McHugh

Question:

59 Mr. McHugh asked the Minister for Health and Children if the threat of a bioterrorist attack on Ireland or on another country has been considered by the Government; and if his Department has contingency plans in place if this biological attack should occur. [4462/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 59 together.

In the wake of the events of 11 September 2001 in the USA, I established an expert committee under the chairmanship of Professor William Hall, director of the virus reference laboratory, to develop a contingency plan which would, implemented in the unlikely event of a biological attack in this country. In preparing the plan it was necessary for the committee to identify the level of risk of such an attack. The committee considered that the secondary consequences of an attack in another country was the most likely threat.

On 17 October 2001 I launched a protocol for dealing with a suspected anthrax attack in Ireland. The protocol was prepared by the expert committee and deals with the procedures to be adopted in the event of a suspected anthrax attack, including patient treatment and management, post exposure guidelines. Included with the protocol are guidelines for individuals and companies on how to deal with a suspect package believed to contain anthrax. The document is available on my Department's web site: www.doh.ie.

A detailed protocol in relation to category A agents, including smallpox, botulism, plague and tularaemia, entitled, Biological Threats – A Health Response for Ireland, was issued in May 2002 to all health board chief executive officers and directors of public health for circulation to all relevant personnel. The chief executive officers were requested to circulate the document to appropriate medical personnel and to ensure that each board's emergency plan was reviewed and updated to take account of the protocol. It is available on my Department's website: www.doh.ie/pdfdocs/biothreat.pdf.

The National Disease Surveillance Centre issued a document entitled, Biological Threat Agents. It was aimed at informing all medical staff, particularly GPs, in order to assist in the diagnosis of anthrax, plague, botulism and smallpox. This document was agreed by the expert committee and was circulated in May 2002.

It was agreed by the expert committee that a sub-group, representative of health boards, consultants in emergency medicine and infectious diseases, public health doctors as well as the NDSC, was required to examine operational issues arising from the document, Biological Threats – A Health Response for Ireland. This sub-group was established in October 2002. It was requested to examine several key issues, including the designation of hospitals for treatment of smallpox cases and development of protocols in relation to transport of patients and samples. It has submitted a number of reports to the expert committee for consideration.

Based on the recommendations of the expert committee, I approved the purchase of specific antibiotics and vaccines which would be required in the event of a biological attack with specific class A agents. The following quantities were secured: 2.4 million doses of ciprofloxacin, oral, and 16,000 doses of ciprofloxacin, i/v, for the treatment of anthrax; and 600,000 doses of smallpox vaccine for the use in the event of a confirmed case of the disease. This vaccine can be diluted by a factor of five or six.

These products will complement the existing stocks of medical products for the treatment of these diseases. There is a considerable quantity of antibiotics and other therapeutic substances already available in hospitals which could be used against a range of biological agents in the event of an attack.

A high level containment facility has recently been constructed at the virus reference laboratory. The facility is designed to a BL3+ standard to allow for containment of a range of infectious agents including smallpox and to ensure increased safety. In addition, protective clothing for use in the event of an attack as well as specific equipment for use by the VRL have been secured. In the event of a biological threat occurring the expert committee will provide advice in relation to the management of the situation, including the issue of vaccine use, based on the specific circumstances prevailing at the time.

Question No. 38 answered with Question No. 6.