Bioterrorism and Physiology

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Bioterrorism and Physiology

• Assignment 6
• Due November 5, 2004

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Bioterrorism what is it?

• The intentional or threatened use of viruses,
  bacteria, fungi or toxins from living organisms
  to produce death or disease in humans, animals or
  plants.

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Routes of Exposure

• occur through inhalation, skin (cutaneous)
  exposure, or ingestion of contaminated food or
  water. Following exposure, physical symptoms may
  be delayed sometimes confused with naturally
  occurring illnesses. Biological warfare agents
  may persist in the environment cause problems
  some time after their release.

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Weaponizing

• consists of processes designed to enhance
  delivery, stability, infectivity and/or lethality
• Aerosol delivery is the most likely means of
  delivery for bioagents followed by water or food
  borne means, which are less likely due to
  logistics
• Effective aerosol delivery to the oral nasal
  passages, particles must be very small (10
  microns) - even smaller if they are to reach the
  lungs

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Once released

• bioagents are subject to degradation by UV light,
  temperature or humidity and dissemination and
  dilution by winds
• Water or food borne routes present a higher
  degree of difficulty for the delivery of
  bioagents

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Epidemiologically,

• unusually high rates of illness or unusual
  disease should raise red flags
• More severe disease than might be expected for a
  specific pathogen or unusual routes of exposure
  may point to bioterrorism
• Additionally, infections with strains having
  unusual antibiotic resistance or a pathogen not
  endemic to that geographic area or outside its
  normal transmission season are suspicious

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Evaluation

• The aggressive potential of any bioagent is based
  on their ability to multiply in the host as well
  as virulence, lethality, stability, infectivity,
  pathogenicity, mode of transmission and
  incubation period.

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Types of Agents

• The agents below fall into four major groups,
  three classes of microorganisms - bacteria,
  rickettsia, and viruses, plus bacterial toxins,
  which are poisonous chemicals produced by
  bacteria. Incubation period, duration of illness,
  symptoms, means of transmission, treatment, and
  prognosis, are among the types of information
  included

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Center for Disease Control

• The US public health system primary healthcare
  providers must be prepared to address various
  biological agents, including pathogens that are
  rarely seen in the US.

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Category A

• High-priority agents include organism that pose a
  risk to national security because they
• Can be easily disseminated or transmitted from
  person to person
• Result in high mortality rates and have the
  potential for major public health impact
• Might cause public panic and social disruptions,
  and
• Require special action for public health
  preparedness

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Category A Agents

• Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)  
• Botulism (Clostridium botulium toxin) 
• Plague (Yersinia pestis) 
• Small pox (Variola major) 
• Tuleremia (francislla tularensis) 
• Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (e.g. Ebola, Marburg,
  Lassa, etc.)  

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Category B

• Second highest priority agents include those
  that
• Are moderately easy to disseminate
• Result in moderate morbidity rates and low
  mortality rates and
• Require specific enhancements of CDCs diagnostic
  capacity and enhanced disease surveillance

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Category B Agents

• Brucellosis (Brucella species) 
• Plus food safety threats E. coli, Salmonella,
  etc.
• Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci) 
• Q-fever (Coxiella brunetti) 
• Viral Encephalitis (VEE, WEE, EEE)

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Category C

• Third highest priority agents include emerging
  pathogens that could be engineered for mass
  dissemination in the future because of
• Availability
• Ease of production and dissemination and
• Potential for high morbidity and mortality rates
  and major health impact

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Category C Agents

• Emerging infectious diseases such as Nipah virus
  and hantavirus

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The Assignment

• Always using a physiological perspective, each
  group member is to prepare a description of how
  his/her role as a physician, biochemist,
  veterinarian, environmental biologist, molecular
  biologist, etc. would be advantageous to an
  investigative team sent to investigate a
  potential bioterrorism attack or composed to
  develop strategies to prevent/prepare for
  readiness for such an attack. Group leader may
  select a specific agent, an unknown agent or a
  group of agents to use as the focus of the
  assignment.