Emergency Preparedness Program

Get Informed: Biological Threat

What is bioterrorism?

Bioterrorism is the use or threat of use of biological agents to cause widespread outbreaks of illness or death. Biological agents (bacteria, viruses and toxins) may affect people, animals and crops. Depending on the agent, they can be spread by:

• Spraying a fine mist or powder into the air that may drift for miles.  Breathing the powder causes disease.

• Infecting animals or insects that may pass the disease to humans.

• Contaminating food and water.

• Person to person transmission.

Why use bioterrorism?

• Fear - To produce chaos, fear and destabilize a population.

• Inexpensive - Biological agents are hundreds of times cheaper to produce than chemical, nuclear or conventional weapons

• Easy to obtain - Technologies to produce (i.e. incubators) and dispense (i.e. sprayers) biological agents are easy to obtain.  Many organisms (e.g. anthrax, plague bacillus) can be found in nature.

• Delayed effects - A biological attack may not be evident for days, allowing the perpetrator time to escape.  Incubation times before symptoms develop will cause unexposed healthy as well as exposed persons to seek treatment, overwhelming emergency rooms and other health care facilities.

• High fatality - Fatality rates of 80% for anthrax and 30% for smallpox will only add to the desired effects.

What if there is a biological threat?

Unlike an explosion, a bioterrorism event may not be immediately obvious.  It is likely that local health care workers will report a pattern of unusual illness or there will be a wave of sick people requesting emergency medical services.  You will probably learn of the danger through an emergency radio or TV broadcast.

In the event of a biological threat, public officials may not immediately be able to provide information on what you should do.  It will take time to determine exactly what the illness is, how it should be treated, and who is in danger.  However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio, or check the Internet for official news, including:

1. Are you in the group or area authorities consider in danger?

2. What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?

3. Are medications or vaccines being distributed? Where? When? Who should get them?

4. Where should you get emergency medical care if you become sick?

If potentially exposed, it is important to follow the instructions of health and medical officials.

Learn More: General Information

• Biological Threat (Ready America)

• Biological Threats (FEMA)

• History of Bioterrorism (streaming video) (CDC)

Learn More: Bioterrorism Agents / Diseases

• Anthrax

• Botulism

• Brucellosis

• Food and Water Threats

• Glanders

• Plague

• Ricin

• SARS

• Smallpox

• Tularemia

• Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

• Q Fever

 

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Information is not intended to be a substitute for appropriate medical advice. Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by Macomb County.