Q&A: Bioterrorism

In today's society bioterrorism is a real threat that can strike anywhere at anytime. Everyone fears the unknown and therefore knowledge can ease fears because knowledge sheds light on the unknown. The following Q&A sheds light on bioterrorism based on information from the Center for Disease Control.

Q: What is Bioterrorism?

A: This type of terrorism is an intentionally planned attack using the release of biological agents such viruses, bacteria and/or other agents that is intended to produce illness or death (Center for Disease Control, n.d.).

Q: How are biological agents used in bioterrorism spread?

A: These agents can be spread in three ways. The three ways in which they can be spread is through the air, in the water supply or in food. Certain biological agents can be spread from one infected person to another person despite how the original person was infected. The Center for Disease Control lists all biological agents that can be spread from one person to another.

Q: Can certain biological agents be spread in multiply ways?

A: Yes. Certain biological agents can in fact be spread in multiple ways. Anthrax for example can be spread in the air through the inhalation of spores or through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat or dairy products from infected animals.

Q: What are the classifications of bioterrorism?

A: Bioterrorism is classified into three different categories. The categories are Category A, Category B and Category C. Each agent is placed into a certain category based on how easy the agent is to spread and the gravity of illness or mortality rate ( Center for Disease Control, n.d.).

Category A is for high priority agents that are highly easy to spread, have a high death rate, may cause public panic and call for unique action for public health preparedness.

Category B is for second high priority agents that not as easy to spread, have a moderate illness rate with a low death rate and call for improved disease monitoring.

Category C is for the third high priority agents that are potentials for mass production, are easily available, easy to engineer for mass production, have potential to cause high mortality rates and/or high rates of illness.

Q: What biological agents fall into which category?

A: Category A agents includes anthrax, botulism, pneumonic plague, smallpox, tularemia and viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Category B agents includes brucellosis, epsilon toxin, E-Coli, glanders, melioidosis, psittacosis, Q fever, Ricin toxin, salmonella, shigella, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, typhus fever, vibrio cholerea and viral encephalitis.

Category C is emerging biological agents for bioterrorist attacks. So far the list only includes niphan virus and Hantavirus (Center for Disease Control, n.d.).

Source:
Center for Disease Control (n.d.). Bioterrorism. Retrieved August 25, 2009, from
http://emergency.cdc.gov/bioterrorism/