Bioterrism

1. BIOTERRORISM

2. "Bioterrorism” - The unlawful use, or
threatened use, of microorganisms or toxins
derived from living organisms to produce death
or disease in humans, animals, or plants. The act
is intended to create fear and intimidate
governments or societies in the pursuit of
political, religious, or ideological goals.
WHAT IS BIOTERRORISM

3. OR
The use of biological agents to intentionally
produce illness or intoxication in a susceptible
population

4. Biological terrorism dates as far back as ancient Roman
civilization.
1346 Siege of Kaffa; plague
1763 French and Indian War; smallpox
WW I German program; anthrax, glanders
1925 Geneva protocol bans biological weapons
 WW II Japanese program; anthrax, plague, cholera,
shigella.
HISTORY

5. 1946 U.S. announces its involvement in bioweapons
research
1972 Biological Weapons Convention
1979 Accidental release of B. anthracis spores at bioweapon
research center, Sverdlovsk, U.S.S.R
1989-92 Scientists from the former U.S.S.R. involved in
biological weapons research defect to the West
2001 Anthrax releases in Florida, New York, New Jercy
HISTORY (CONT…)

6. 2001 Anthrax attack in America.
2001-2002 Anthrax attack in Pakistan
2003 Ricin letter incidents
2007 Dengue attack in Pakistan (Lahore)
2009-2010 Dengue attack in Pakistan (Lahore)
HISTORY (CONT…)

7. BIOWEAPON-RELATED
DISEASES
• Anthrax
• Botulism
• Brucellosis
• Cholera
• Food poisoning
• Glanders
• Hemorrhagic fever
• Lassa fever
• Melioidosis
• Plague
• Psittacosis
• Q-fever
• Salmonellosis
• Shigellosis
• Smallpox
• Tularemia
• Typhoid fever
• Typhus
• Viral encephalitis

8. CLASSIFICATION
OF
BIOLOGICAL AGENTS

9. The Centers for Disease Control C (CDC-
2004) have placed agents in one of three
priority categories for initial public health
preparedness efforts:A, B, or C.Agents

10. •Contagious
•High death rates and high health impact on the
public
•ANTHRAX, BOTULISM, SMALLPOX,
TULAREMIA, PLAGUE etc….
CLASS -A

11. Critical biological agents category A
Can be easily disseminated or transmitted person-
to-person
Cause high mortality, with potential for major
public health impact
Might cause public panic and social disruption
Require special action for public health
preparedness
Characteristics of CLASS -A

12. CATEGORYA -AGENTS
INCLUDE

13. Variola major (smallpox)
Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)
Yersinia pestis (plague)
Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism)
Francisella tularensis (tularemia)
Filoviruses
Ebola hemorrhagic fever
Marburg hemorrhagic fever
Arena viruses
Lassa (Lassa fever)
Junín (Argentine hemorrhagic fever)
and related viruses

14. Are moderately easy to disseminate
Some illness & death rates
TYPHUS, WATER SAFETY THREATS, SALMONELLA
Cause moderate morbidity and low mortality
Require specific enhancements of CDC's diagnostic
capacity and enhanced disease surveillance
CATEGORY- B

15.  Coxiella burnetti (Q fever);
Alpha viruses
 Venezuelan encephalomyelitis
 Eastern and western equine
encephalomyelitis
 Ricin toxin from Ricinus communis
(castor beans)
 Epsilon toxin of Clostridium
perfringens
 Staphylococcus enterotoxin B.
CATEGORYB -AGENTS

16. SUBSET OF LIST BAGENTS INCLUDES
PATHOGENS THATARE FOOD- OR
WATERBORNE - THESE PATHOGENS
INCLUDE
Salmonella species
•Shigella dysenteriae
•Escherichia coli O157:H7
•Vibrio cholera
•Cryptosporidium parvum

17. CATEGORY C INCLUDES EMERGING PATHOGENS THAT
COULD BE ENGINEERED FOR MASS DISSEMINATION IN THE
FUTURE
 Easily available
 Easily produced and spread
 Have potential for high death & illness rate
 Category C agents are pathogens.
They are easy to produce and have potential for high morbidity or
mortality
CATEGORYC

18.  Nipah virus
 Hantaviruses
 Tick-borne hemorrhagic fever viruses
 Tick-borne encephalitis viruses
 Yellow fever
 Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
CLASS-C AGENTS

19.  Food / Water
 Aircraft sprayers
 Vehicle sprayers
 Hand sprayers
 Mail
Air handling systems
 Human Vector
 Animal Vector
Biological Weapon Delivery Methods

20. Aprimitive biological weapon Delivery device -
aerial bomb
Thin fragile aluminium cylinders filled with
nitrogen under pressure to create an aerosol and
release organisms when the bomb lands.
Explosive

21. Occurrence of vector-borne disease where
there is no vector
 Cluster of sick or dead animals
 A typical seasonality
 Geographic Pattern of Illness
 More respiratory presentation of disease
KEYINDICATORS OFA
BIOLOGICALTERROR EVENT

22.  Familiarize medical staff with BT agents
 Incorporate into Disaster Planning
 Decontamination & Infection Control
 Communications with key agencies
 Laboratory, Respective health authorities of the Nation.
 Contacts to obtain stockpiled supplies: antibiotics,
immune sera, vaccines, etc.
 Security preparations
PREPARATION FOR BTATTACK

23.  Assess health impacts in the community
 Environmental health assesses water safety and sanitation
 Public health nurses coordinate with Shelter Operations
 Acute communicable disease tracks infectious diseases
 Injury program tracks injuries and fatalities
 Health Officer coordinates information for the public and
health care providers
 Public Health Laboratories identify agents (either in-
house or through referral to State governments or health
authorities )
WHAT DOES PUBLIC HEALTH DO IN
ABIOTERRORIST EVENT?