What is it?
Bioterrorism is the planned, unlawful use, or threat of use, of biological
weapons made from living organisms with the intent of causing death or disease
in humans, animals, or plants. The goal of bioterrorism is usually to create
fear and/or intimidate governments or societies for the purpose of gaining
political, religious, or ideological goals.
A bioterrorism attack may not always be noticed immediately. For example, if
a bacteria or virus was spread through the air, people may not show symptoms for
days. Also, although some biological agents may be first spread through the air
(aerosolized), by food, or by water, some may continue to be spread over a
period of time by person-to-person contact.
GCHD Staff undergoing hazmat training
Biological agent Types:
Bacteria -microscopic organisms that exist in almost every
environment known to man. The diseases they cause can usually be treated
with antibiotics. Examples would be
Anthrax or
Tularemia.
Viruses -microscopic organisms that produce a wide variety of
diseases, which are usually only treated by antiviral medications or
prevented by previous vaccination. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses
and, therefore, do not cure viral diseases. Examples would be
smallpox or
Ebola, a viral
hemorrhagic fever.
Toxins -chemicals produced from living plants, animals, or
microorganisms which can cause various symptoms sometimes leading to death.
Toxins may be cleared from the body by medical treatment. An example would
be botulism or
ricin.
Characteristics of likely bioterrorism agents:
- Good Infectivity - the capability of entering, surviving in, and
multiplying in intended hosts.
- High Virulence - the ability of an organism to cause disease.
- High Toxicity - the quality of being poisonous.
- High Pathogenicity - the ability of an organism to damage the host
(human, animal).
- Short Incubation Period - the time between the moment of inoculation
(exposure to the agent) to the development of symptoms of a particular
illness.
- High Transmissibility – the capability of being transmitted (spread)
from one person to another.
- High Lethality- the capability of causing death.
- High Stability – how long an agent stays active in an environment.
- Low Effective Dose – the amount of an agent needed to obtain the
desired result or intended illness/death.
To read answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) of the most
likely bioterrorism agents, click on the linked specific agent, or, click here
to go to the Center for Disease
and Control (CDC) website. |
