You are on page 1of 9

CONTEMPROARy Issue

BioterrORISM : A Public Health Perspective


Lt Col S Das*, Brig VK Kataria (Retd)+

Abstract
The intentional release or threat of release of biologic agents (i.e. viruses, bacteria, fungi or their toxins) in order to cause disease
or death AMONG HUMAN population or food crops and livestock to terrorize a civilian population or MANIPULATE the GOVERNMENT in
the present scenario of increased terrorist activity has BECOME a real possibility. The MOST IMPORTANT step in the event
of a bioterrorist attack is the identification of the event. This can be achieved by generating awareness, having high
degree of suspicion and having a good surveillance SYSTEM to assist quick detection.
Bioterrorist attacks could be covert or announced and caused by virtually any pathogenic MICROORGANISM. Bioterrorist agents of
MAJOR concern have been categorized as A, B and C based on the priority of the agents to pose a risk to the national security and
the ease with which they can be DISSEMINATED. The five phases of activities in dealing with a bioterrorist attack are preparedness
phase, early warning phase, notification phase, response phase and recovery phase.
A bioterrORISM attack in a public place is a public health EMERGENCY. Early detection and rapid investigation is the key to contain
such attacks. The role of public health EPIDEMIOLOGIST is critical not only in DETERMINING the scope and MAGNITUDE of the attack but
also in effective IMPLEMENTATION of interventions.
MJAFI 2010; 66 : 255-260
Key Words : BioterrORISM; Anthrax; BOTULISM; Plague; SMALLPOX; Public health EMERGENCY; Category A, B and C agents

Introduction system and the society [1].

T
he threat of biological warfare seems remote to Historical Perspective: The use of biological
most industrialized and developing nations. However, weapons has been reported as early as the sixth
the threat of bioterrorism, in which biological agents century
are used by extremists as weapons against civilian
B.C. when contamination of water supply with the
populations, is a matter of concern. Nations and
fungus Claviceps purpurea (rye ergot) by the
dissident groups exist that have both the motivation
Assyrians had been reported. The hurling of the dead
and access to skills to selectively cultivate some of
bodies of plague victims over the walls of the city of
the most dangerous pathogens and to deploy them
Kaffa by the Tartar army in 1346 and the spreading
as agents in acts of terrorism. Although a bioterrorist
of smallpox via contaminated blankets by the
attack is difficult to predict, the consequences of a
British to the Native American population loyal to
successful attack could
the French in 1767 are the most frequently cited
be devastating and cannot be ignored. episodes of poisoning [2]. In the recent past,
Bioterrorism and its effects can impose heavy mycotoxins (fungal toxins) were reported to have
demands on the public health care system which will been used in Afghanistan in the form of what is
be called upon to handle the consequences. An popularly known as ‘yellow rain’. The growth of
effective public health care system with strong religious cults and extremist political groups also
disease surveillance, rapid epidemiological and increases the threat of bioterrorism today. The most
laboratory investigation, efficient medical significant biological attack in the United States
management, information, education and (US) was the intentional contamination of restaurant
communication (IEC) will be required to counter any salad bars with Salmonella by a religious cult in
act of covert or overt bioterrorist attack. Oregon in 1984 [2].
In India there has been no documented case of In September 2001, the American public was
bioterrorism so far. For this very reason we need to exposed to anthrax spores as a bioweapon delivered
know and learn about this form of terror before it through the US postal system. The centre for disease
becomes a formidable challenge to our public health control and prevention (CDC) identified 22
confirmed or suspected cases of anthrax during this
attack. These included 11

Jt Dir AFMS (Pension), O/o DGAFMS, 'M' Block, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi-01. + Professor (Dept of Micorbiology), SGRRI of
*

Medicine & Health Sciences, Dehradun.


Received : 16.02.09; Accepted : 05.05.10 E-mail : das.shobhana@gmail.com
25 Das and Kataria

patients with inhalational anthrax, of whom five died population.


and 11 patients with cutaneous anthrax (seven The bioterrorist agents with highest priority are the
confirmed), all of whom survived [2]. causes of anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), botulism
What is BIOTERRORISM ? Bioterrorism is the (Clostridium botulinum), plague (Yersinia pestis),
intentional release or threat of release of biologic smallpox (variola major), tularaemia (Francisella
agents (i.e. viruses, bacteria, fungi or their toxins) in tularensis) and viral haemorrhagic fevers (filoviruses
order to cause disease or death among human and arena viruses). There are many other common
population or food crops and livestock to terrorize a foods or water-borne agents that could potentially be
civilian population or manipulate the government [3]. used in a bioterrorist attack [6]. The biological
Is bioterrorism a legitimate threat? Epidemics of weapons as per the CDC classification are
plague in India, avian (H5N1) influenza in Hong classified into three categories, Category A, B and
Kong, ebola haemorrhagic fever in central Africa and C, as given in Table 1, based on the priority of the
Nipah virus (NiV) infection in Malaysia and agents to pose a risk to the national security and the
Singapore required national and international ease with which they can be disseminated [7]. The
response. During the plague and ebola investigations, microbiological agents are listed in Table 2.
concerns regarding possibility of bioterrorism were Common signs, symptoms and clinical syndromes
raised, though not supported by subsequent findings caused by bioterrorism agents are given in Table 3.
[4]. Investigations into these outbreaks has taught The routes of entry of biological weapons into the
us a number of important lessons. The challenges human body are mainly inhalation, contact (skin /
posed by biological weapons are availability of mucous membrane) and the gastrointestinal tract.
multiple agents and delivery means, variable Methods of delivery could be through bomblets
incubation periods, high mortality rates and potential delivered by aircrafts or use of spray tanks mounted
for geographic dispersion of the agent (due to travel) on aircrafts/ tall buildings. The agents of anthrax,
during the incubation period. At times prompt plague, brucellosis, smallpox, viral encephalitides
identification or distinction between a bioterrorist and viral haemorrhagic fevers can be aerosolized and
attack and natural disease outbreak may be difficult. distributed over large geographic areas. Other
Many of the important prophylactic drugs/vaccines methods include delivery by post or by deliberate
may not be available during a bioterrorist attack or infiltration of infected animals, vectors and pests
have limited shelf lives and cannot be stockpiled. through the international border. In preparation
Even today, at least 17 countries are known to have against biological weapons attacks, newer methods
a biological weapons program. Consequent to the for early detection/warning have been devised by
collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union, microbe certain countries e.g. the BioWatch program in the
stocks and technology appear to have passed into US, which uses a series of pathogen detectors
terrorist hands [5]. colocated with air quality monitors. These
Bioterrorist attacks could be caused by virtually detectors collect airborne particles onto filters
any pathogenic microorganism. However micro which are later manually collected at regular
organisms (like virus, bacteria, fungi or toxins) to be intervals and analyzed for potential biological
effective as a bioterrorist agent should consistently weapon pathogens using polymerase chain reaction
produce a given effect, death or disease, at low (PCR) techniques. It is expected that this system
concentrations. The agent should be highly will provide early warning of a pathogen release,
contagious, have a short and predictable incubation alerting authorities before victims begin to show
period. The target population should have little or no symptoms and providing the opportunity to deliver
immunity against the organism. The agent should be treatment earlier. However the deployment of such
amenable to economic mass production, difficult to bioterrorism detection system may not be viewed as
identify in the target population and little or no an appropriate response to the current threat [8]. In
prophylaxis or treatment should be available with the
the native Table 1
Classification of agents of BIOTERRORISM

Category A Category B

High priority agents include organisms that pose Second highest priority agents include
a risk to national security because they are: those that are:
 Easily disseminated  Moderately easy to disseminate
 Cause high mortality  Cause moderate morbidity
 Cause public panic and social disruption  Require enhanced disease
MJAFI, Vol. 66, No. 3, 2010
BIOTERRORISM 25
 Require special action for public health surveillance and public
preparedness. diagnostic capacity

MJAFI, Vol. 66, No. 3, 2010


Table 2
Agents of B IOTERRORISM

Category A agents Category B agents Category C agents

 Bacillus anthracis (anthrax)  Alpha viruses  Hanta viruses


 Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism)  Eastern and western equine  Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
 Francisella tularensis (tularemia) encephalomyelitis viruses  Nipah virus
 Variola major (smallpox) (EEE, WEE)  Tickborne encephalitis viruses
 Yersinia pestis (plague)  Venezuelan equine  Tickborne haemorrhagic fever viruses
 Filo viruses encephalomyelitis virus (VEE)  Yellow fever
 Ebola virus (Ebola hemorrhagic fever)  Brucella species (brucellosis)
 Marburg virus (Marburg haemorrhagic  Burkholderia mallei (glanders)
fever)  Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
 Arena viruses  Epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens
 Junin virus (Argentinian haemorrhagic  Ricin toxin from Ricinus communis
fever) and related viruses  Staphylococcal enterotoxin B
 Lassa virus (Lassa fever) A subset of Category B agents includes
pathogens that are food or waterborne.
These pathogens include but are not limited to:
 Cryptosporidium parvum
 Escherichia coli O157:H7
 Salmonella species
 Shigella dysenteriae
 Vibrio cholerae

event of a bioterrorist attack the most important step


Public health EMERGENCY preparedness and
is the identification of the event. The cause of a
response to bioterrorist attack : The responsibilities
disease or even the occurrence of something unusual
of public health agencies are surveillance of infectious
may be very difficult to determine, especially if the
diseases, detection and investigation of
initial cases are few. Any small or large outbreak of
outbreaks, identification of etiologic agents and
disease should be evaluated as a potential bioterrorist
their modes of transmission and the development
attack. Doctors in hospital out patient departments
of prevention and control strategies. The measures
(OPDs), private practioners and family physicians
needed to prevent and control emerging infections are
could play a vital role in the initial recognition of a
strikingly similar to those needed to check the threat of
potential bioterrorism attack. Familiarity with the
bioterrorism. Maintaining effective disease
infectious agents of highest priority can expedite
surveillance and communication systems are
diagnosis and initial management leading to a
fundamental components of an adequate public
successful public health response to such an attack.
health infrastructure. Ensuring adequate
The first to notice could be a hospital laboratory
epidemiologic and laboratory capacity are prerequisites
seeing unusual strains of organisms, an
to effective surveillance systems. One approach to
epidemiologist keeping track of hospital admissions
early detection is "syndrome surveillance", in which
or even pharmacists distributing more antibiotics
electronic symptom data are captured early in the
than usual. A bioterrorist attack may be difficult to
course of illness and analyzed for signals that might
distinguish from a naturally occurring infectious
indicate an outbreak requiring public health
disease outbreak. A single diagnosed or strongly
investigation and response. Syndrome surveillance
suspected case of smallpox, inhalational anthrax,
has been used for early detection of outbreaks to
cutaneous anthrax (with no known risk factors
follow the size, spread and tempo of outbreaks, to
compatible with naturally-occurring disease), viral
monitor disease trends and to provide reassurance
haemorrhagic fever (in a patient with no international
that an outbreak has not occurred. Syndrome
travel history) or more than one case of pneumonic
surveillance systems seek to use existing health
plague, pneumonic tularaemia (with at least one
data in real time to provide immediate analysis and
laboratory confirmed case, no known compatible risk
feedback to those charged with investigation and
factors and occurring in a brief time period) or a
follow-up of potential outbreaks. The model of large
higher than expected number of unexplained
scale exposure to the agents of bioterrorism (by use of
morbidity and mortality in a brief time period
vaccines and antibiotics) has dramatic potential for
within a defined geographic region should point
saving lives and expense [10-12]. The public health
towards possibility of a bioterrorist attack [9].
approach to bioterrorism must begin with the
development of local
Table 3
Clinical SYNDROMES caused by BIOTERRORISM agents [2,7,9]

Acute respiratory distress Acute rash with fever Neurologic syndromes Influenza like illness
with fever
i. Inhalational Anthrax. i. Small Pox i. Botulism i. Brucellosis
Abrupt fever, respiratory Fever with papular rash that Acute bilateral descending Irregular fever, chills, malaise,
distress, chest pain. begins on the face flaccid paralysis beginning headache and pleuritic chest
Widened mediastinum and extremities and uniformly with cranial nerve palsies. pain.
Gram +ve bacilli in sputum. progresses to vesicles and Electromyography (EMG): Gram-ve coccobacilli in blood
Treatment is with pustules; Clinical with augmented muscle action potential / bone marrow culture.
Ciproflox 500 mg 12 hourly or laboratory confirmation; toxin assays of serum, faeces or Serologic testing and culture
Doxycycline 100 mg 12 hourly Treatment: Supportive. gastric aspirate can be done. available.
or Clindamycin 900 mg thrice Prophylaxis: Vaccinia Treatment: Supportive, Treatment: Intramuscular
daily for 60 days immunization Equine antitoxin. Streptomycin 750 mg to 1 g
Prophylaxis post exposure: Prophylaxis: Administration daily for 14 to 21 days with
Ciproflox 500 mg 12 hourly or ii. Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers of antitoxin. Doxycycline 100 mg 12 hourly
Doxycycline 100mg 12 hourly Fever with mucous membrane for 6 weeks.
for 60 days. bleeding, petechiae, ii. Encephalitis Prophylaxis: Vaccines based
Anthrax vaccine thrombocytopenia and (Venezuelan, Eastern, Western) on live attenuated B. abortus
hypotension. Encephalopathy with fever and strain are of uncertain value.
ii. Pneumonic Plague: Definitive testing available. seizures and/or focal
Severe Pneumonia, shock, Treatment: Supportive neurological deficits. ii. Tularaemia
hemoptysis, cyanosis, Ribavirin in recommended Serologic testing available. (Typhoidal, Pneumonic)
gastrointestinal symptoms doses. Treatment: Supportive Fever, chills, rigors, headache,
Gram –ve bacilli/coccobacilli Prophylaxis:Vaccine for Prophylaxis: Attenuated myalgias, sore throat;
in sputum, other confirmatory yellow fever. cell-culture propagated live Substernal discomfort, dry
tests. vaccine. cough.
Treatment: Streptomycin TC-83 only partially effective. Gram-ve bacillus in smears /
intramuscular or intravenous cultures. Chest radiograph
1.0 gm thrice daily or shows infiltrate/effusion.
Doxycycline 100mg twice daily Definitive testing available,
or Chloramphenicol 500 mg Treatment: Streptomycin
12 hourly. 1 g 12 hourly for 14 days
Prophylaxis: Doxycycline Prophylaxis: Doxycycline
100mg 12 hourly. 100 mg 12 hourly for 14 days
Formalin Fixed Vaccine.
iii. T2 Mycotoxin
iii. Ricin Aerosolized Abrupt mucocutaneous and
Fever, chest pain and cough airway irritation including
progressing to respiratory skin (pain and blistering),
distress and hypoxemia not eye (pain and tearing),
improving with antibiotics. gastrointestinal (bleeding,
Chest radiograph shows vomiting, and diarrhea) and
Pulmonary Oedema, airway (dyspnea and cough)
ELISA test on sputum or Treatment: Supportive.
immunohistoichemical No antitoxin yet available.
techniques for direct tissue Prophylaxis: No Prophylaxis
analysis to confirm diagnosis. available presently.
Treatment: Supportive.
No antitoxin yet available.
No Prophylaxis available.

iv. Staphylococcal entrotoxin B


Acute onset of fever, chills,
headache, non-productive cough
and myalgia with a normal
chest radiograph. Profuse watery
diarrhoea, if ingested.
Enterotoxins may be detected
in environmental samples using
a variety of antibody-based tests.
Treatment: Supportive therapy.
No Prophylaxis available.

and state-level plans. Close collaboration between the activities. Completion of the following five phases of
clinical and public health communities is also activities prior to an incident are essential for
critical. To effectively respond to an emergency or successful response to a bioterrorist attack [13]:
disaster, health departments must engage in
preparedness (a) Preparedness phase: This phase includes
actions to be taken by different agencies to ensure quarantine, isolation, keeping health care facilities
required state of preparedness. These include geared for impending casualty management and
evaluation of the laboratory facilities and upgrading evolving public health facilities for control.
the same, evaluating the hospital preparedness in
emergency response and case management in case of (d) Response Phase: In this phase the activities
an imminent attack, conduct training of health include rapid epidemiological investigation, quick
professionals, rapid response team (RRT) and quick laboratory support, mass casualty management and
response medical team (QRMT) who would be the initiation of preventive, curative and specific control
first responders, work out the legal provision and measures for containing the further spread of the
their implications, ensure that requirement of safe disease (Table 4). In order to achieve them, following
drinking water is met, ensure availability of adequate steps can be followed:
stocks of medicines and vaccines, coordinate with (i) Assess the situation: Initiate the response by
security organization, organize mock drills for health assessing the situation in terms of time, place and
professionals, government departments, animal person distribution of those affected, routes of
husbandry, security, law enforcing and other transmission, its impact on critical infrastructure
agencies so as to assess their preparedness levels to and health facilities, the agencies and
act in case of an attack, prepare contact details so that organizations involved in responding to the
communications is unhampered during an attack. event, communicate to the public health
Public should be kept aware about imminent attacks responders, local, state and national level
so that voluntary reporting is encouraged. It is emergency operation centres for event
important to carry out review of situation based on management etc.
current information of threat perception. (ii) Contact key health personnel: Contact and
(b) Early Warning Phase: The early warning in coordinate with personnel within the health
the surveillance system includes activities like department that have emergency response roles
case definitions, notification, compilation and and responsibilities. Record all contacts and
interpretation of epidemiological data. Early follow-up actions.
detection and rapid investigation by public health
(iii) Develop action plan: Develop initial health
epidemiologist is critical in determining the scope and
response objectives that are specific,
magnitude of the attack and to implement effective
measurable and achievable. Establish an action
interventions.
plan based on the assessment of the situation.
(c) Notification Phase: It is mandatory to report Assign responsibilities and record all actions.
any unusual syndrome or usual syndromes in unusual
numbers to appropriate authorities. The activities in (iv) Implementation of the action plan: The RRTs/
this phase include rapid epidemiological investigations, QRMTs investigate the outbreak /increase in the
quick laboratory support for confirmation of disease incidence, collect samples and send it to
diagnosis, the
Table 4
E PIDEMIOLOGIC response to SUSPECTED / CONFIRMED BIOTERRORISM events

The epidemiologic preparedness and investigation checklists may be useful in the epidemiologic response planning process:
Confirmation Specimens to be forwarded to a reference laboratory for laboratory confirmation
Notification If disease scenario meets the definition for bioterrorism, local, state and central bioterrorism response partners will be
notified, the RRTs/QRMTs will be activated and serve as the core epidemiologic rapid response team
Coordination Several types of personnel may be required for the epidemiological investigation like interviewers, environmental health
inspectors, disease control investigators, epidemiologists, data entry operators and data managers
Communication
Information from the outbreak investigation is communicated to other bioterrorism response partners 1 . Hypothesis
Epidemiological Investigation
generating interviews with the initial cases
. Case definition based on initial hypothesis-generating interviews
. Case finding by local and state public health officials through alerts to multiple potential reporting sources 4 . Case
interviews using a uniform questionnaire
(f) Contact tracing 5 . Data analysis for epidemiologic investigation and contact tracing activities in a coordinated manner For diseases
transmissible from person-to-person, all possible contacts are identified and interviewed All clinical and epidemiologic
information is entered into a database
All contacts are referred for vaccination, prophylaxis, isolation and/or quarantine as appropriate and kept under active
(g) Laboratories (h) surveillance
Expanded Questions regarding specimen collection, packaging, storage and shipment should be clear
surveillance If the disease outbreak is thought to involve animals, public health officials from the vector borne / veterinary health will
(j) Overt or announced This is be
guided by the intelligence and law enforcement agency which coordinates the epidemiologic investigation bioterrorism
informed
threat All information e.g. time, place, mode and/or contents of the release made available to public health personnel
identified state/national laboratory for testing. minimising mortality and morbidity in case of a
Hospitals are alerted for receiving the patients bioterrorist attack.
and their treatment. If necessary tented hospitals
are set up. Methods to control the disease and Conflicts of Interest
quarantine measures are instituted. Once the None identified
disease is identified, treatment protocols are References
sent to all concerned by the fastest possible 1. Sharma R. India wakes up to threat of bioterrorism. BMJ 2001;
means. Standard operating procedures (SOP) for 323: 714.
laboratory testing is made by the identified 2. Lane HC, Fuci AS. Microbial Bioterrorism. In: Kasper DL,
laboratory and the same is sent to all the hospital Braunwald E, editors. Harrison’s Principle of Internal
laboratories and district hospitals for Medicine, 16th ed. New York, McGraw Hill 2005; 1279-88.
implementation. Laboratory reagents are 3. Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention. Emergency
Preparedness and Response: Bioterrorism Overview.
distributed to the concerned laboratories. Public
Available from URL: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
is taken into confidence to prevent any panic. bioterrorism/overview. asp.
The list of 'Do’s and Don’ts' are circulated 4. Gupta ML, Sharma A. Pneumonic plague, northern India,
thorough the print and electronic media. 2002. Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Apr. Available from URL:
Hospitals ensure appropriate isolation, http:// www.cdc.gov/content/13/4/664.htm.
quarantine, waste disposal and personal protective 5. Borio L, Inglesby T, Peters CJ, Schmaljohn AL, Hughes JM,
measures. All contaminated clothing and Jahrling PB, et al. Haemorrhagic fever viruses as biological
weapons: medical and public health management. JAMA
equipment are carefully disposed of by
2002; 287: 391-405.
incineration. An impact assessment team assesses
6. Torok TJ, Tauxe RV, Wise RP, Livengood JR, Sokolow R,
the impact of the attacks on humans, animals and Mauvais S, et al. A large community outbreak of
plants. salmonellosis caused by intentional contamination of
(e) Recovery Phase: The setbacks suffered as a restaurant salad bars. JAMA 1997; 278: 389-95.
result of the bioterrorist attack are restored and 7. Bioterrorist agents: Differential diagnosis, initial laboratory
lessons learnt in this phase are incorporated in the tests, and public health actions. Available from URL: http://
www . s t a n f o r d h o s p i t a l . c o m / P D F / / B T Age n t s
future preparedness plans. The damage done to the DifferentialDiagnosis.pdf.
public health facilities and the essential items utilized
8. Shea DA, Lister SA. The BioWatch Program: Detection of
during the response phase are replenished. Public Bioterrorism. Congressional Research Service; 2003
advisories are issued regarding restoration of November 19; Report No. RL 32152. Available from
normalcy. The RRTs compile and analyze data to URL: http:// www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RL32152.html.
identify the deficiencies experienced in the 9. Annex 3. Biological agents. In: Robinson JPP, Public health
implementation of the response measures. The response to biological and chemical weapons: WHO
necessary modifications are then incorporated in guidance, 2nd ed. World Health Organization, 2004: 229-76.
Available from URL: http://whqlibdoc.who.
the contingency plan for future [11]. int/publications/2004/ 9241546158.pdf.
Conclusion 10. Kelly J, Henning A. An overview of syndromic surveillance;
what is syndromic surveillance? MMWR 2004; 53: 5-11.
Bioterrorism remains a legitimate threat both from
11. Mandl KD, Overhage JM, Wagner MM, Lober WB,
domestic and international terrorist groups. From a
Sebastiani P, Mostashari F, et al. Implementing syndromic
public health perspective, timely surveillance, surveillance: A practical guide informed by early experience.
awareness of syndromes resulting from bioterrorism, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
epidemiologic investigation capacity, laboratory 2004; 11: 141-50.
diagnostic capacity and the ability to rapidly 12. Sosin DM. Syndromic surveillance: The case for skillful
communicate critical information on a need to know investment. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism. Biodefense,
basis to manage public communication through the Strategy, Practice and Science 2003; 1: 247-53.
media are vital. Ensuring adequate supply of drugs, 13. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for responding to a
laboratory reagents, antitoxins and vaccines is terrorist attack using biological agents. Government of India,
Ministry of Home Affairs, 2006.
essential. Formulating and putting into practice
SOPs/ drills at all levels of health care will go a long
way in
Kalimat kunci pada jurnal diatas :

1. Bioterorisme adalah pelepasan yang disengaja atau


ancaman pelepasan agen biologis (yaitu virus, bakteri, jamur
atau racunnya)
2. serangan bioteror bisa disebabkan oleh hampir semua
mikroorganisme patogen.
3. agen bioteroris yang menjadi perhatian utama telah
dikategoorikan sebagai A, B, C berdasarkan prioritas agen.
4. lima fase dalam menghadapi serangan bioteroris adalah
fase persiapan, fase peringatan dini, fase respond, dan fase
pemulihan.
5. Peran epidemiologist kesehatan masyarakat sangat
penting tidak hanya menentukan ruang lingkup dan besarnya
dari serangan tetapi juga dalam implementasi intervensi
yang efektif.

Kesiapsiagaan DARURAT kesehatan masyarakat dan


respons terhadap serangan bioteroris: Tanggung jawab
lembaga kesehatan masyarakat adalah pengawasan penyakit
menular, deteksi dan investigasi wabah, identifikasi agen
etiologi dan cara penularannya serta pengembangan strategi
pencegahan dan pengendalian. Langkah-langkah yang
diperlukan untuk mencegah dan mengendalikan infeksi yang
muncul sangat mirip dengan yang diperlukan untuk
memeriksa ancaman bioterorisme. Mempertahankan sistem
pengawasan dan komunikasi penyakit yang efektif adalah
komponen mendasar dari infrastruktur kesehatan masyarakat
yang memadai. Memastikan kapasitas epidemiologis dan
laboratorium yang memadai merupakan prasyarat untuk
sistem pengawasan yang efektif. Salah satu pendekatan
untuk deteksi dini adalah "surveilans sindrom", di mana data
gejala elektronik ditangkap pada awal perjalanan penyakit
dan dianalisis untuk sinyal yang mungkin menunjukkan
wabah yang membutuhkan penyelidikan dan respons
kesehatan masyarakat. Surveilans sindrom telah digunakan
untuk deteksi dini wabah untuk mengikuti ukuran,
penyebaran dan tempo wabah, untuk memantau tren
penyakit dan untuk memberikan kepastian bahwa wabah
belum terjadi. Sistem surveilans sindrom berusaha untuk
menggunakan data kesehatan yang ada secara real time
untuk memberikan analisis dan umpan balik segera kepada
mereka yang ditugasi investigasi dan tindak lanjut dari
wabah potensial. Model paparan skala besar pada agen
bioterorisme (dengan menggunakan vaksin dan antibiotik)
memiliki potensi dramatis untuk menyelamatkan nyawa dan
biaya [10-12]. Pendekatan kesehatan masyarakat untuk
bioterorisme harus dimulai dengan pengembangan lokal

You might also like