Bioterror by the Numbers
The costs of defending against bioterrorism are many.
e-mail
print
35
Number of years ago that a treaty was signed by more than 100 countries to ban biological weapons
350
Number of U.S. labs authorized by the CDC to work with select agents (biological agents or toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety) for research purposes
150
Approximate dollar amount, in millions, spent on U.S. biodefense in 1997
7.5
Approximate dollar amount, in billions, spent on U.S. biodefense in 2005
41
Number of select agents and toxins, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
60
Percentage of mice killed in one experiment after they were infected with bioengineered mousepox
100
Percentage of mice killed in a later experiment with a modified mousepox whose swift deadliness limited its spread beyond the directly infected population
