Bioterrorism

On the internet, anthrax is big business. The New York Times reported that anthrax news was creating a “marketing opportunity” on the internet and that anyone who typed “anthrax” or “cipro” into the Google.com search engine on Friday 12 October would have encountered as many as eight boxed notices with headings such as “anthrax prevention” or “Stockpile Cipro.” These offered links to online pharmacy sites where the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, used to treat inhaled anthrax, is on sale. By Tuesday, there were fewer boxed notices, but the belief in Americans' right to bear arms—even if arms simply meant antibiotics—was very much in evidence.

One of the boxed notices, with the heading “Cipro—no script required,” linked to the site of Defcon Tech, a company that “is proud to offer America survival products and information” (www.defcontech.com:8080/tech/). Current special products include “anthrax medications and survival kits”—in other words, ciprofloxacin. “Even though a large scale delivery of anthrax is difficult, our customers are choosing to play it safe,” says the site. “If terrorists strike with an epidemic size attack, nobody wants to be left without medication.” Also available is “nuclear radiation protection”—potassium iodate pills.

Appealing even more directly to the American survivalist spirit, HealthMeds.com carries a strong statement admitting it was “wrong” to say that it would scrutinise all prescriptions requesting ciprofloxacin. The company tells its customers, “Yes, you have the right to bear arms, buy gas masks and stock up on all the food and water you possibly can. You also have the right to access medications and have the absolute right to protect you and your family.”

More general anti-anthrax supplies are available at http://www.bioterrorismprevention.org/, including gas masks, water filters, chemical suits, and “survival food tablets,” a new product which it is claimed will allow you to live for four to five months with no other foods. In design terms the site looks as if it is part of the Centers for Disease Control site. However, when I viewed it, the link to the CDC home page was defunct, and when I went to the CDC's excellent resource on bioterrorism (http://www.bt.cdc.gov/), I could find no mention of bioterrorismprevention.org and its products.