B i o t e r r o r i s M

THE SICKENING

TRUTH

WHAT IS

BIOTERROR?

BIOTERRORISM IS

Purposeful release of viruses, bacteria or other disease-causing agents in order to

harm people, animals, or plants.

WHY IS IT EFFECTIVE? It’s DIFFICULT TO DETECT

It’s CAPABLE OF MASS DEVASTATION

It can have ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

CLASSIFYING BIOTERROR AGENTS

CLASS A• Contagious• High death rates and high health impact on

the public• ANTHRAX, BOTULISM, SMALLPOX,

TULAREMIA, PLAGUE

CLASS B• Moderately easy to spread• Some illness & death rates• TYPHUS, WATER SAFETY THREATS,

SALMONELLA

CLASS C• Easily available• Easily produced and spread• Have potential for high death & illness rates• NIPAH VIRUS

Hey look, a llama! Never can be too careful…

S m a l l p o x

(Smallfont for smallpox!)

CURE There’s a vaccine, baby!

SYMPTOMS Flu symptoms, then you get pox – or red spots on the skin.

BIOWEAPON USECan be carried by an infected person or sprayed in the air.

--A deadly virus that is extremely contagious.

A N T H R A X

(No, not the band…)

CURE Some forms can be cured with antibiotics.

SYMPTOMS Blisters, stomachache, diarrhea – CAN BE FATAL, but not contagious.

BIOWEAPON USECan be made into powder – don’t touch or inhale it!

Also, more effectively, it can be made into aerosol.

--A bacterial disease rarely found in humans. Common in farm animals.

S a l m o n e l l a

(No, not a female fish…)

CURE Can be treated with antibiotics, but doesn’t need to.

SYMPTOMS Nausea, stomachache, vomiting diarrhea – RARELY fatal.

BIOWEAPON USEEasy to find, but hard to put in food

– they do it anyway.

--A natural bacteria you can find in uncooked food like eggs.

S A R I N(We can’t think of any more lame puns)

CURE There’s a treatment, but you have to take it FAST.

SYMPTOMS Runny nose, rapid heartbeat, weakness, paralysis. SMALL DOSES CAN BE DEADLY.

BIOWEAPON USEChemists make liquid sarin.

It’s hard to make it in gas form, though.

--A human-made chemical that attacks the nervous system.

And now, for some victims...……

NOT FOR THE

FAINTHEARTED

(you can close your eyes)

VICTIMSSMALLPOX

ANTHRAX

Project Bioshield"We refuse to remain idle when modern technology might be turned against us. We will rally the great

promise of American science and innovation to confront the greatest danger of our time.“

-Former President George W. Bush, at the signing of the Project Bioshield Act of 2004

• Authorized spending of $5.6 billion over a span of 10 years in order to pay for vaccines and medical facilities in case of national biological emergency

• Gave the National Institute of Health grants to pursue medical research & technology

• Emergency Use Authorization – EUA – gave access to best medical responses in case of an emergency as declared by the Secretary of Human Healthy & Services OR Secretary of Homeland Security

Technology At Work Forensic teams work hard to identify

biological agents, their origins and effects

Labs are working on advanced detection systems to detect early attacks, identify at-risk areas, and to give proper treatment

Biosurveillance: Real-Time-Outbreak Disease Surveillance system made its debut in 1999. This collects data from labs, hospitals, and environmental studies in order to detect bioterror attacks as early as possible.

And now…Rachel will enlighten you

with some disturbing examples of

BIOTERRORISM IN HISTORY

WARNING!We have just received word

of a severe outbreak of Salmonella in the Plaistow area.

Investigations are taking place at a local bakery –

please refrain from consuming store-

purchased baked goods until further notice.

If ill, contact your physician immediately.