- What is bioterrorism?
- Have any bioterrorism incidents occurred in Massachusetts?
- Is Massachusetts at risk for a biological terrorism attack?
- What is MDPH doing to prepare for a bioterrorism attack?
- What are symptoms of disease from bioterrorism?
- What is anthrax?
- Should I keep a supply of antibiotics in my home in case there is a biological attack?
- What about smallpox? Should I be immunized?
- Is there an anthrax vaccine?
- Does MDPH recommend the purchase of gas masks?
- Is there a website with more information?
Q. What is bioterrorism?
A. Bioterrorism is the intentional use of (or threat to use) biological agents like anthrax or salmonella to hurt people, create fear, and/or disrupt society.
Q. Have any bioterrorism incidents occurred in Massachusetts?
A. There have been many hoaxes, but no evidence of any intentional release of dangerous microbes. In order to make organisms small enough to actually cause infection and to make someone sick, a person would have to have access to highly specialized equipment and processes. It would be very difficult to successfully disperse a biological agent into the air in a way that could harm many people.
Q. Is Massachusetts at risk for a biological terrorism attack?
A. Biological terrorism, or bioterrorism, is a remote possibility in any given location. The threat of bioterrorism is continuously monitored in every jurisdiction of the United States. Massachusetts is at no greater risk than any other state of comparable size and is at no greater risk today than it was last year at this time.
Q. What is MDPH doing to prepare for a bioterrorism attack?
A. For several years, the MDPH has been improving laboratory, surveillance and communication capabilities to be better prepared for a bioterrorism attack. The MDPH offers trainings for clinicians and laboratorians in the identification and diagnosis of diseases that may be caused by bioterrorism agents. Coordination with other key agencies such as the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the FBI are ongoing.
Q. What are symptoms of disease from bioterrorism?
A. Many organisms could be used for bioterrorism. The resulting symptoms could range from a minor gastrointestinal illness to much more severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing or shock.
Q. What is anthrax?
A. Anthrax is a disease caused by naturally occurring bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. It is a common disease of cattle in many parts of the world but has not been seen in Massachusetts in over 30 years. Anthrax has been considered as a biologic weapon in the past, but there are many technical reasons that the release of anthrax would have a limited impact.
Q. Should I keep a supply of antibiotics in my home in case there is a biological attack?
A. No, it is not recommended that anyone store or consume antibiotics unless they are prescribed for the treatment of a specific condition. Antibiotics can be harmful if not used appropriately and can actually mask symptoms of disease if the incorrect ones are used. In addition, many strains of bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. Bacteria that could be used in a terrorist attack may be resistant to specific antibiotics, thereby making them useless. There is a current stockpile of antibiotics for two million people, so that the most effective antibiotics could be delivered to wherever necessary.
Q. What about smallpox? Should I be immunized?
A. There have been no cases of smallpox in the world in over 20 years. The only two places where the virus is known to exist are in secure facilities in the United States and Russia. There is currently a supply of 15 million doses of smallpox vaccine that could be used to prevent spread of virus should there be a release. This type of use of vaccine was how smallpox was eliminated. Smallpox vaccine is not recommended because it is not available and can cause sever side effects.
Q. Is there an anthrax vaccine?
A. Anthrax vaccine is not available to health care providers or the public. Unless a person is at significant risk of exposure to anthrax, the difficulties associated with getting this vaccine and its side effects are worse than the risk to anthrax.
Q. Does MDPH recommend the purchase of gas masks?
A. No, neither the federal Centers for Disease Control nor the Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommend the purchase or use of gas masks. In the remote event of a terrorist successfully releasing an organism into the air, a gas mask would have to be worn 24 hours a day to be effective. Because it is not feasible or healthy to wear gas masks for extended periods of time, it is not recommended that individuals purchase gas masks for this type of use. Used incorrectly, gas masks can cause more harm than good.
Q. Is there a website with more information?
A. Please go to http://www.cdc.gov/ for more information about bioterrorism and public health topics. For information on terrorism preparedness for you and your family, please visit the Red Cross website to get Disaster Counseling Materials.
Copyright ©1998-2002. All rights reserved.
Questions? Comments? E-mail info@chna12.org.