This course examines biological weapons, epidemics, and public health. It will use the U.S. program as an introduction to discuss international environmental health issues and programs related to outbreaks and threats. The course focuses on political, cultural, environmental, health, and technological factors in biological weapons development and spread since WWII. It introduces epidemiology basics and unique issues when biological weapons are used. Students will participate in discussions, read assigned materials, and take two exams assessing their responses to outbreak scenarios. Assessment is based on exams, four reaction papers, and class participation. Topics include biosafety, water/sanitation, security/profits, pathogens/outbreaks, and nonproliferation programs.

1. The Hot Zone: BioWeapons, Epidemics, and Public Health
Biological WMD Nonproliferation and Public Health
Course Code: INTS 3705, Location: STURM 334
Seats Available: 25
Meeting Days/Time: Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:50 p.m.
Credit Hours: 3
Instructor: Tony C. Williams, BS Eng., MBA, MA
Office Hours: Email me please. (tony.williams@du.edu)
Course Description:
This course presents global perspectives on the history of biological weapons as they
relate to global heath and epidemiology. We will be using this U.S. program as a
precursor to discuss and review several other international environmental health issues
and programs as they relate to epidemiological outbreaks and the threat to public and
environmental health.
We will be focusing on the political, cultural, environmental, health, and technological
factors involved in the development and spread of biological weapons since the end of
World War II and contemporary relevance. This course will introduce students to the
basics of epidemiology as well as unique issues in epidemiology when biological
weapons are used. The course includes not only how a disease would spread naturally,
but also how it could spread in case of BW attack. The class will serve as an introduction
to epidemiology as it relates to the varieties of bio-agents case studies, their purpose,
usage, and effectiveness. We will also review the various regimes and treaties pertaining
to this form of warfare, ethical issues concerning their possession, The Biological
Weapons and Toxins Convention and contemporary issues related to their existence or
application.
Course Requirements: Students are expected to attend lectures, read assigned book
chapters and articles, participate in class discussions and table top scenarios. Students
will take two case study response exams (midterm/final).
Assessment and Final Grade:
The first midterm examination will be based on individual and assigned group responses
to written in class “table top” outbreak scenarios (worth 35% of the overall grade for the
course). A similar final examination (also worth 35%) will take place during the finals
week. Students will have to prepare for these scenario examinations from course work,
discussions, scenario examples and readings. In addition, four short reaction paper
assignments and active participation in scenarios based on the assigned book chapters
will constitute the remaining 20% of the student’s grade and 10% will be from discussion
and attendance.
Reaction Papers: 20% (4 papers at 5% each)
Reaction Papers: Students may choose topic; 3 pages double spaced maximum.

2. Students are required to submit a total of three reaction papers. The reaction papers are
meant to provide a synthesis and critical reaction to the course readings for a particular
week. Papers should therefore not be limited to simply summarizing the readings, but
instead, should integrate thoughtful analysis that can include, for example, students’ own
reactions, questions left unanswered, how the author conveyed her/his argument, why this
topic is/is not important, etc. It is not necessary to inform the instructor beforehand of the
plan for submitting a reaction paper. Papers should be submitted by hard copy at the
beginning of the class for which the readings are chosen from.
Lectures Topics (10 sessions):
1 – Introduction to Public/Environmental Health
Proper environmental management is the key to avoiding the quarter of all preventable
illnesses which are directly caused by environmental factors. The environment influences
our health in many ways — through exposures to physical, chemical and biological risk
factors, and through related changes in our behavior in response to those factors.
The WHO states that thirteen million deaths annually are due to preventable
environmental causes. Preventing environmental risk could save as many as four million
lives a year, in children alone, mostly in developing countries. We will review antigens
and antibodies, vaccinations, how diseases spread, how antibiotics were, what causes
resistance to antibiotics? And what dangerous pathogens are how are they introduced in
our environment?
Hot Zone book and movie discussion.
Readings: Plague Wars – Ch 1-3, and Biohazard – Ch. 17
2/4-- Biosafety and Biosecurity
Basics of physical security and the unique parameters involved in Biosurety.
Asset identification, Vulnerability assessment
Pathogen control (repositories, 2-person rule, PRP, RF Tags)
Counter direct action operations (outsider threats)
Counter theft of pathogens or technology (insider threats)
Reduce risk of accidental release of pathogens (Sverdlovsk – one of the bigger
intelligence failures in U.S. history)
Promote biosafety/biosecurity awareness and education to enhance personnel security,
maintenance, safety monitoring, and pathogen control.
Legal issues – Patriot Act
What is our approach in the U.S.? What are we doing with universities and private labs
maintaining collections?
Readings: Plague Wars – Ch 8,20,28 and Biohazard – Ch. 15,20

3. Link to Dr Guillemin's lecture from a few years back at Emory (book on Anthrax and
Sverdlovsk)
http://www.sph.emory.edu/CPHPR/Triangle/Guillemin/Start_files/Default.htm
3 - *Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Lack of good drinking water and proper sanitation and hygiene result in 1.5 to 2 million
deaths per year, with the vast majority of the victims being children younger than 5 years
of age. Sustainable approaches to address these crucial environmental health needs in
developing countries will be discussed.
*Guest Lecturer – Ron Clemmer, environmental engineer specializing in solving water
and sanitation problems. He has lived and worked in China and Thailand, and has been
involved with projects in several developing countries.
Readings: Plague Wars – Ch 9, and Biohazard – Ch. 5,6,7
5 - *Security and Profits
Balancing commercial interests and counterproliferation objectives
International conventions and U.S. regulations governing the export of biological warfare
agents
*Guest Lecturer – Karen Howland, former CIA analyst and Korbel graduate, Karen’s
work in government was in the investigation of the international weapons trade where
she was an economic analyst at CIA for over four years covering various international
trade issues, including the trade in dual-use goods; export risk analysis as part of the
effort to prevent the proliferation of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. She
also represented the intelligence community on committees to assess the risk of
diversion of dual-use goods to military programs and countries subject to trade
sanctions.
Readings: Hot Zone – Project Ebola, page 46, and Biohazard – Ch. 12
6 - Pathogens and Outbreaks
Hot Zone Categories
Laboratory Hot Zone
Laboratory Principals of Design and Maintenance
Laboratory Engineering Biosafety and Biosecurity
ATCC and Iraq’s BW program, Amerithrax
Economic Terrorism/Agroterrorism – Rajneeshee, Aum Shinrikiyo, FMD (Plum Island),
BSE, Crop terrorism (Otar, KZ)
Readings: Plague Wars – Ch 13, and Biohazard – Ch. 7
7 - Epidemics and Source Investigations
CDC Agent Biosafety Classifications
Hospital Fundamentals of Patient Care and Medical Procedures
Readings: Plague Wars – Ch 6,7,8, and Biohazard – Ch. 21
8/9 - Nonproliferation in the FSU and the US/Bio-weaponeering programs

4. Microbiology, epi, BSL labs and outbreak response
Historical programs – US, UK, USSR, Japan, SA, Iraq
Deploying modern diagnostics to eliminate need for multiple reference pathogen
collections
EDPs consolidated into secure repositories at the Central Reference Laboratories (CRLs)
Readings: Plague Wars – Ch 14,15,21,29 and Biohazard – Ch. 14,15,16,21
10 - Political Considerations in the handling of Epidemics and Especially Dangerous
Pathogens (EDP’s)
Facilitate transfer of pathogens and data to U.S. DoD and other USG entities (e.g.,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Enhance recipient state diagnostic response capability via trained epidemiological teams
equipped to investigate outbreaks of human and veterinary especially dangerous
infections
Enhanced reporting, detection, and response capability for human and veterinary EDPs
Provide dedicated transport for samples and pathogen consolidation
What should WHO be doing that it is not? Are we ready to handle SARS, AI, or a major
pox or hemorrhagic outbreak?
Articles will be distributed in class for scenarios and chapters and class topics may
vary as necessary.
Required Texts (available at bookstore)
Plague Wars: The Terrifying Reality of Biological Warfare by Tom Mangold and Jeff
Goldberg
Biohazard: The Chilling True Story of the Largest Covert Biological Weapons Program
in the World--Told from Inside by the Man Who Ran It by Ken Alibek and Stephen
Handelman (Paperback - April 11, 2000)
"http://www.amazon.com/Biohazard-Chilling-Largest-Biological-World-
Told/dp/0385334966/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232651103&sr=1-1"
The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston
"http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Zone-Terrifying-True-
Story/dp/0385495226/ref=pd_sim_b_5" o "The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story
(Paperback)"
Scenario/Case Study Examples:
One of the case studies for the group may be to establish a Threat Assessment Detection
and Response (TADR) epidemiological system in a new country (say Kenya) and what
the local government may think would be most cost-effective solution. What to do when

5. very sick people are found getting off of airplanes or have recently ridden on a plane (48
hours ago).

6. very sick people are found getting off of airplanes or have recently ridden on a plane (48
hours ago).