Lecture 8: Bioterrorism

Question 1

Give examples of bioterrorism attacks.

Answer 1

1. 2001 anthrax attacks: at east 5 letters were sent to US senators and members of the media
2. 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack: Rajneesh cult deliberately contaminated salsa bars at 10 local restaurant with Salmonella typhimurium in an attempt to influence the local electron

Question 2

What is the Federal Select Agents Program?

Answer 2

USA PATRIOT Act in 2001and the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 require HHS & USDA to publish regulations for possession, use, and transfer of select agents

Question 3

How are select agents defined?

Answer 3

Biological agents and toxins that have been determined to have the potential to pose a severe threat to both human and animal health, to plant health, or to animal and plant products

Question 4

True or false: a bioterrorist attack is a public health emergency

Answer 4

True

Question 5

How are bioterrorist agents of major concern caterogorized?

Answer 5

Based on priority of the agents to pose a risk to national security and how easily disseminated they are

Question 6

What is the Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks?

Answer 6

Seven federally sponsored laboratory networks under a common framework to assist in integrated and coordinated responses to acts of terrorism and other major chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents

Question 7

What is the Laboratory Response Network (LRN)?

Answer 7

Networks of labs that respond to public health emergencies, biological chemical threats/terrorism

Question 8

What are the 3 levels of the LRN?

Answer 8

1. Sentinel = routine laboratory testing and may be first to detect it
   - “Recognize, rule out, refer”
2. Reference = receive reagents, protocols, and specialized training to perform testing for multiple agents in high risk environmental or clinical samples
3. National = responsible for specialized characterization of organisms, bioforensics, select agent activity, and handling highly infectious biological agents

Question 9

Give an example of sentinel labs, reference labs, and national labs.

Answer 9

• Sentinel: hospitals
• Reference: public health labs
• National: CDC

Question 10

Explain how anthrax would be tested throughout the LRN.

Answer 10

Question 11

What is the BioWatch System?

Answer 11

The nation’s first early warning network of sensors to detect an aerosolized biological attack

Question 12

List the following for anthrax:
1. Agent
2. Reservoir
3. Transmission
4. Main virulence factor
5. Why it is a good bioweapon

Answer 12

1. Bacillus anthracis
2. Animals and soil
3. Contact with infected animals/animal products and contaminated environment
4. Anthrax toxin
5. Easy dissemination, environmentally resistant spores, high mortality

Question 13

List the following for brucellosis:
1. Agent
2. Reservoir
3. Transmission
4. Why it is a good bioweapon

Answer 13

1. Brucella spp.
2. Animals
3. Contact with infected animals/animal products (esp. placenta and aerosols)
   - No human-human transmission
4. Easily aerosolized and highly infectious

Question 14

List the following for tularemia:
1. Agent
2. Reservoir
3. Transmission
4. Why it is a good bioweapon

Answer 14

1. Francisella tuarensis
2. Rodent and rabbits
3. Contact with contaminated animals/animal products, aerosols, contaminated environment, and various arthropod vectors
4. Easily aerosolized and highly infectious

Question 15

List the following for the plague:
1. Agent
2. Reservoir
3. Transmission
4. Why it is a good bioweapon

Answer 15

1. Yersenia pestis
2. Rodents
3. Fleas, contact with infected animals/animal products, aerosols
4. Easily aerosolized and highly infectious