Preparing for bioterrorism

The risk posed by bioterrorism in Canada may be relatively small, but it is considered real enough that Health Canada Online now dedicates a special section to it.

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The Health Canada Biological Agents Web site (www.hc-sc.gc.ca /english/epr/) lists 6 major areas of concern: anthrax, botulism, smallpox, tularemia, the Plague and viral hemorrhagic fever. It offers general information about each and includes recommendations for dealing with “suspicious packages.”

Physicians seeking information on a huge range of infectious substances should visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/msds-ftss/index.html, which provides details on agents ranging from adenovirus and Bacillus anthracis to Venezuelan equine encephalitis and yellow fever. Health Canada prepared the information for life sciences personnel as “quick safety reference material relating to infectious micro-organisms.”

In the US, a new site targets physicians who may be faced with “suspicious” problems. Rare Infections and Bioterrorist Agents (www .bioterrorism .uab.edu) is sponsored by the American Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the University of Alabama's Center for Disaster Preparedness. The site includes detailed information on the 6 agents favoured by bioterrorists, assesses the risk posed by each of them and then offers increasingly detailed information.

“This Web site is an important new tool to help doctors and nurses identify rare infections that also could be potential bioterrorist threats,” said Dr. John Eisenberg, AHRQ's director. “The evidence-based information we present will help frontline clinicians be better prepared in the event of another bioterrorist event.”

In the section on anthrax, for example, a chart lists clinical symptoms and diagnosis/treatment strategies. If more information is needed a detailed reference section outlines everything from specific clinical manifestations of exposure to a history of the use of anthrax as a weapon.

Finally, a picture gallery illustrates various clinical situations. Each picture is accompanied by a short quiz. — Michael OReilly, mike@oreilly.net