Provides a view into the world of Bioterrorism and shows how it could affect the healthcare system of the United States. This work demonstrates the ramifications to health, politics, and everyday common actions and looks at biological agents and how organizations and the government should respond in cases when such agents are unleashed.
Bioterrorism poses a unique challenge to the medical care and public health systems. Unlike an explosion or chemical attack, which results in immediate and visible casualties, the public health impact of a biological attack can unfold gradually over time. Until a sufficient number of people arrive at the emergency rooms and doctors' offices complaining of similar illnesses, there may be no sign that an attack has taken place. The speed and accuracy with which the doctors and laboratories reach the correct diagnoses and report their findings to public health authorities has a direct impact on the number of people who become ill, and the number that die. The nation's ability to respond to a bioterrorist attack, therefore, depends crucially on the state of preparedness of its medical care systems and public health infrastructure. Public health experts have for years complained about the deterioration of the public health system through neglect and lack of funding. They warn that the nation is ill equipped and insufficiently prepared to respond to a bioterrorist attack. For example, they point out that there are too few medical personnel trained to spot biological attacks, a shortage of sophisticated laboratories to identify the agents, and inadequate supplies of drugs and vaccines to counteract the threat. They also contend that inadequate plans exist for setting up quarantines and emergency facilities to handle the sick and infectious victims. Improving public health preparedness and response capacity offers protection not only from bioterrorist attacks, but also from naturally occurring public health emergencies. Public health officials are increasingly concerned about our exposure and susceptibility to infectious disease and food-borne illness because of global travel, ubiquitous food imports, and the evolution of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This book reviews critical issues in the US public system and its vulnerability or lack thereof to bioterrorism.
This comprehensive reference provides all the information emergency departments and personnel need to prepare for and respond to terrorist events. The first section covers all agents potentially used in terrorist attacks—chemical, biologic, toxicologic, nuclear, and explosive—in a systematic format that includes background, triage, decontamination, signs and symptoms, medical management, personnel protection, and guidelines for notifying public health networks. Algorithms show when to suspect and how to recognize exposure and detail signs and symptoms and management protocols. The second section focuses on all-hazards preparedness for hospitals, communities, emergency medical services, and the media, and includes an important chapter on simulation of disasters.
A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. These agents are typically found in nature, but it is possible that they could be changed to increase their ability to cause disease, make them resistant to current medicines, or to increase their ability to be spread into the environment. Biological agents can be spread through the air, through water, or in food. Terrorists may use biological agents because they can be extremely difficult to detect and do not cause illness for several hours to several days. Some bioterrorism agents, like the smallpox virus, can be spread from person to person and some, like anthrax, can not. This new book presents new analyses on the prevention of, preparedness for and protection from.
Although the probability of a domestic bioterrorist attack has been considered to be low, some characteristics of biological agents may make them appealing to terrorist. The information for the production of agents is readily available on the Internet, and the agents are relatively easy to grow and conceal. According to intelligence agencies, the possibility that terrorists may use chemical or biological materials may increase over the next decade.- Results in Brief, BIOTERRORISM: The National Preparedness & ActivitiesDespite federal efforts, significant concerns exist regarding preparedness at the state and local levels. As a result, the Federal Government is involved in a range of research activities related to the public health and medical consequences of a bioterrorist attack on the civilian population.BIOTERRORISM: THE NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS & ACTIVITIES is part of studies being done to enable the rapid identification of biological agents in a variety of settings: to develop new vaccines, antibodies, and to improve treatment for infectious diseases caused by biological agents, including developing and testing emergency response equipment.The GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (GAO) is an agency that works for Congress and the American people. Congress asks GAO to study the programs and expenditures of the Federal Government. The GAO, commonly called the investigative arm of Congress or the congressional watchdog, is independent and non-partisan. For information on the GAO and its activities, please visit: http: //www.gao.gov/index.html
In the wake of September 11th and recent anthrax events, our nation's bioterrorism response capability has become an imminent priority for policymakers, researchers, public health officials, academia, and the private sector. In a three-day workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Emerging Infections, experts from each of these communities came together to identify, clarify, and prioritize the next steps that need to be taken in order to prepare and strengthen bioterrorism response capabilities. From the discussions, it became clear that of utmost urgency is the need to cast the issue of a response in an appropriate framework in order to attract the attention of Congress and the public in order to garner sufficient and sustainable support for such initiatives. No matter how the issue is cast, numerous workshop participants agreed that there are many gaps in the public health infrastructure and countermeasure capabilities that must be prioritized and addressed in order to assure a rapid and effective response to another bioterrorist attack.
