Bioterrorism:
Frequently-Asked Questions
How real is
the threat of bioterrorism?
We cannot know how likely it is that terrorists will use biological
weapons against our general population and we have no evidence that
Washington State is a target of bioterrorism. However, we do know that the
technology to produce and use dangerous biological agents is potentially
available to people who might be willing to use them. Because the
consequences of such an attack could be severe, we need to be prepared to
respond as quickly and effectively as possible.
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What is being done
about the threat of bioterrorism?
The best defense against bioterrorism is a strong public health system.
In response to the threat of bioterrorism, Congress authorized the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to coordinate efforts to upgrade
national public health capability to counter bioterrorism. Following this
mandate, the CDC established the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response
Program in 1999. Under this program, Washington is developing the capacity
to detect, communicate and respond to potential bioterrorism events. You
can read more about Washington's Public Health
Emergency Preparedness and Response program on this site.
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Should we be spending
all of this money on bioterrorism when we have other immediate health
needs?
The effects of bioterrorism are so potentially devastating, that we
need to do all we can to prepare for a possible attack. However,
most of what we do to strengthen our public health system against
bioterror attacks also strengthens our ability to respond to emerging
infectious diseases like SARS, West Nile virus, other diseases, and other
health emergencies.
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What can I do to protect my family and
myself?
Many of the same steps you would take to prepare yourself and your
family for a natural disaster such as a flood or major storm would also be
helpful in preparing for an incident of bioterrorism. For instance, making
plans for getting in touch with family members after a disaster and
preparing emergency kits for your home, work, and your children's school
are simple things you can do. You should recognize, however, that some
preparedness items or actions that could prove valuable in some emergency
situations might not be useful in the special case of bioterrorism.
Bioterrorism is different from terrorist attacks that involve explosives
or chemicals.
You will find a helpful list of
personal preparedness resources on the main page of this Web site.
In each area, local health departments have an
important responsibility for helping protect your community against
outbreaks of infectious disease, whether they occur in nature or because
of a terrorist act. They can assist you with additional
bioterrorism-related concerns that are pertinent to your own community.
Links to local health department Web sites are available on this site.
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Should I buy a gas mask?
No. Gas masks are largely ineffective against biological agents. In
addition, a gas mask would only protect you if you were wearing it at
the exact moment an attack occurred. Unfortunately, a release of a
biological agent is most likely to be done "covertly," that is, without
anyone knowing it. That means you would not know ahead of time to put on
your mask. To work effectively, masks must be specially fitted to the
wearer, and wearers must be trained in their use. Gas masks purchased at
an Army surplus store or off the Internet carry no guarantees that they
will work. More serious is the fact that the masks can be dangerous.
Improper use can result in accidental suffocation.
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Should I purchase disposable masks as
part of a home emergency disaster kit?
Again, a bioterrorist attack will likely be
covert - so you will not know when to put on the mask. By the time the
attack is recognized - days or even weeks after the release of the
bioweapons agent - it is too late to don a mask. Paper masks offer little,
if any, protection against chemical weapons.
More generally, there may be disaster situations in which it will be
important to avoid breathing in dangerous substances. For example, an
explosion may produce fine debris or toxic gases that can
hurt your lungs. Wearing a simple mask in such situations may be helpful.
Be prepared to improvise - use what you have on hand to create a barrier
between the air and your mouth and nose.
There are different opinions as to what sorts of barriers work best and
there are few solid facts. Anything that fits snugly over your nose and
mouth, including any dense-weave cotton material, can help filter
contaminants in an emergency. There are also a variety of facemasks
readily available in hardware stores that are rated based on how small a
particle they can filter in an industrial setting. For the moment, you
have to decide what is best for you and your family.
It is very important that the mask or other
material fit your face snugly so that most of the air you breathe comes
through the mask, not around it. Do whatever you can to make the best fit
possible for children. Simple cloth facemasks can filter some of the
airborne particles or germs you might breathe into your body, but will
probably not protect you from chemical gases. Still, something over your
nose and mouth in an emergency is better than nothing. --
Provided by
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for Biosecurity.
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If I decide to buy disposable masks, what
type should I buy?
There are many kinds of disposable masks. About N95
masks: these are a type of simple, inexpensive paper mask often
mentioned in emergency preparedness literature. The filtering ability of
the N95 mask - a measure of how much material can pass through the paper
in laboratory tests - is quite high. N95 masks effectively protect against
infection in hospital settings in which health care professionals have
time to make sure the masks fit properly.
In the setting of civilian response to a bioterrorist attack, it is not
clear than an N95 mask would be any more effective than other paper masks
or provide more protection than a cotton undershirt wrapped around the
nose and mouth. (Manufactured masks may, however be more comfortable and
more convenient.)
The reason for this is that paper masks often
fail to fit the face snugly, and a lot of air leaks in around the edges of
any paper mask instead of getting filtered through the paper. This is why
it is important to make sure that any mask you use or create fits snuggly
around your face. -- Provided by University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center for Biosecurity.
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Should I stock up on
antibiotics?
Antibiotics may be recommended in the event of a suspected bioterrorism
event; however, there is no antibiotic that is effective against all
diseases. No single pill can protect against all types of biological
weapon attacks. It is important to note that if antibiotics are used
inappropriately, or horded and saved for later, they may become
ineffective. Antibiotics have a limited shelf life and may lose their
strength, they may have side effects, and they should only be used under
medical supervision. Most importantly, misuse of antibiotics can lead to
drug resistance, which means the antibiotics will not be effective when
needed. More information about
antimicrobial resistance is available from the CDC and
more information on careful use of
antibiotics is available from the Washington State Department of Health.
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Will sealing windows with duct tape and
plastic sheeting help protect me during a bioterrorist attack?
No. A release of a biological agent is most likely to be "covert"
- that is, terrorists will not announce the attack before it happens or
afterwards. This means you would not know ahead of time to seal your
windows and prevent contaminated air from reaching you.
Duct tape and plastic sheeting can slow down
air movement from outside to inside, but does not stop such movement. BE
AWARE that using some non-electric space heaters inside such sealed off
areas can lead to dangerous build up of carbon monoxide!! --
Provided
by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for Biosecurity.
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Whatever happened to smallpox and our
smallpox vaccination program?
Smallpox is a highly contagious and deadly disease for which there is
no treatment. Thanks to a worldwide vaccination program, the World Health
Organization was able to declare smallpox eliminated in 1980. However,
samples of smallpox exist in several laboratories and there is some
concern that terrorists may have been able to obtain smallpox to develop
as a biological weapon. In 2002, to strengthen our national defense
against a possible smallpox attack, the federal government directed the
states to begin vaccinating limited numbers of people who could
immediately provide essential medical and health services if a potential
smallpox case were detected. In Washington, we vaccinated 534 doctors,
nurses, disease investigators, and other public health and medical
personnel.
Due to risks associated with smallpox vaccination, the federal
government has not made the smallpox vaccine available to the general
public. However, large amounts of smallpox vaccine have been stockpiled
and our state has a plan in place that will allow us to rapidly vaccinate
the general public should it become necessary to do so. The vaccine
protects a person even when given 2 to 3 days after exposure to the
disease and may prevent a fatal outcome even when given as late as 4 to 5
days after exposure.
Our state is continuing preparations for a
potential smallpox attack by identifying additional skilled medical and
public health personnel who would be willing to be vaccinated immediately
and provide services if a smallpox case occurs. Additionally, we continue
to provide smallpox education to medical, emergency and public health
personnel, to update our smallpox response plan, and to upgrade our
ability to track vaccine use, and the condition of those who have been
vaccinated. You can learn more about
smallpox and Washington's smallpox preparedness program on this site's
smallpox pages.
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What about anthrax?
Should I still be checking my mail?
Anthrax is a deadly disease that can potentially be spread through
airborne spores. In 2001, small amounts of anthrax were mailed to several
government officials and media personalities. Mail inspection and security
were increased at that time to prevent the mailing of anthrax or other
potentially harmful substances. Antibiotics are believed to be an
effective treatment for anthrax exposure, and in the event of an anthrax
attack, antibiotics would be provided to those who might have been exposed
in an attack. Anthrax has been identified by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) as a high-priority (Category A) disease that
our health system must be prepared to address because it has the potential
to cause a large number of deaths and it is relatively easy to
disseminate. You can find out more about anthrax
and other Category A diseases in
our fact sheets.
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Ricin has been in the
news. What is it and should I be concerned?
Ricin is a deadly toxin found in the castor bean that is easy to make
but difficult to use for inflicting mass casualties. During 2003, several
people were arrested in London for manufacturing ricin, and in a separate
incident a small amount of ricin was mailed to a man in South Carolina. No
one was hurt in either incident. The CDC considers ricin a Category B
agent, one that is of concern, but less likely to be used in a terrorist
attack than category A agents. To find out more
about ricin see the CDC fact sheet. To find out more about other
diseases or agents that might be used as bio-weapons,
read our bioterrorism agent fact sheets or
visit the related CDC Web page.
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Where can I get more information on
bioterrorism and emergency preparedness?
Please see the the main page of this
site for a listing of Department of Health resources and links to
related material or visit the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Bioterrorism Preparedness and
Response Program's Web site, or visit the site maintained by the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center--Center for Biosecurity.
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Links to external resources are provided as a public
service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of
Health.
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