BIOTERRORIS

DR.SAKSHI MISHRA

MPH-SEMI
 DEFINITION

Bio terrorism is a deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, toxins or other harmful agents to cause
illness or death in people, animals or plants.
US Center for Disease Control and Prevention

The unlawful use or threatened use of microorganisms or toxins derived from living organisms
to produce death or disease in humans , animals or plants.

The act is intended to create fear and intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of
political, religious or ideological goals.
 HISTORY OF BIOLOGICAL TERORRISM

1763 WW I
1346
French and Indian War; German program;
Siege of Kaffa; plague
smallpox Anthrax, glanders

WW II
1925
Japanese program;
Geneva protocol bans
anthrax; plague, cholera,
biological weapons
shingella
 HISTORY OF BIOLOGICAL TERRORISN
CONTD…

1941 1972 1989–1992

George Merck names US Civilian Biological weapons Convention Scientists from the former USSR
head of Chemical Warfare service involved in biological weapons
later changed to war research service research defect to the west.

Accidental release of B. Anthracis

Nixon eliminates offensive biological spores at bioweapon research center,
warfare program Sverdiovsk, USSR

1969 1979
 ANTHRAX
BIOWEAPON BOTULISM
R E L AT E D
BRUCEllOSIS
DISEASES
CHOLERA
FOOD POISINING
GLANDERS
LASSA FEVER
PLAGUE
 SMALLPOX

BIOWEAPO VIRAL
N R E L AT E D ENCEPHALLITS
DISEASES TYPHUS
CONTD…
Q-FEVER
SHIGELLOSIS
ANTHRAX : The CUTANEOUS PULMONARY
Convenient
95% cases 5% cases
Bioweapon
1-5 days 1-6 days
Infection
Signs/Symptoms Fever, Fever,
tiredness, headache,
headcahe cough
Diagnosis
 Skin biopsy for cutaneous
Pustules, Dyspnea,
 Blood culture
eschar Chest pain
 ELISA ,PCR
ANTHRAX
 The potential threat from various
microorganisms and toxins and classify them
into three categories. The classification into
Categories A, B, and C is based on:
• The ability of the agent to be disseminated
• The mortality rate of the agent
• The actions required for public health
preparedness
• The capability of causing public panic
C L A S S I F I C AT I O N
OF
BIOTERORRISM
AGENT
 Category A consists of the agents that are
considered the highest risk, and much of the
C L A S S I F I C AT I O N biodefense research effort is directed
OF towards these agents.
BIOTERORRISM
AGENT CONT….
Category B agents are ones that could
conceivably threaten water and food safety.

Category C includes pathogens that are

considered emerging infectious disease
threats, and which could be engineered for
mass dissemination.
Definition of Potential Bioterrorism Agent
Categories
Category A
Pose the highest risk to national
security
Can be easily disseminated or
transmitted from person to person
Require special public health
preparedness actions
Have potential to cause public
panic and social disruption
Category B
Pose the second highest risk to
national security
Are moderately easy to disseminate
Require enhanced diagnostic
capacity and disease surveillance
Category C
Emerging pathogens that could be
engineered for mass dissemination
Are easily produced and
disseminated
Have potential for high morbidity
and mortality rates and major
health impact
Are available
 Category A Category B Category C
Dengue

Botulism Hendra
Anthrax Cholera
Smallpox E. coli O157:H7
Hantavirus Hepatitis A Nipah
Lassa Ricin toxin Prions
Marburg Salmonella
Rabies
E x a m p l e s o f
P o t e n t i a l
A g e n t s / D i s e a s e s b y Plague Typhus fever
C a t e g o r y
Yellow fever Tickborne encephalitis
 Occurrence of
I N D I C AT O R S vector borne disease
where there is no
Cluster of sick or
dead animal
OF vector
BIOLOGICAL
TERROR
Geographic pattern
EVENT Atypical seasonality
of illness

Respiratory
presentation of
disease
BIOLOGICAL
DELIVERY
METHODS

• Food/Water

• Aircraft sprayer

• Vehicle sprayer

• Hand sprayer

• Mail

• Air handling systems

• Human vector

• Animal vector
 Contagious
Virulent
Ideal
bioterror Robust
weapon
would be: Difficult to detect
Drug resistant
User- controllable
 Familiarity of Health care workers with BT agents

Disaster planning should include:

PREPRADNESS Decontamination & Infection Control

FOR BT
AT TAC K Communication with key agencies

Contact to obtain stockpiled supplies viz.antibiotics,

vaccines etc.

Security preprations
MEASURES FOR
SUSPECT OF
BIOTERRORIST
DISEASE

Immediately notify:
• Hospital Infection Control
• Isolation
• Laboratory
• Hospital Administration
• Local Public Health Department
ROLE OF PUBLIC
H E A LT H I N B T

• Provides information and create awareness to public

and community

• Treatment

• Quarantine

• Increased lab capacity

• Health Alert network

• Epidemiologist for speed detection

 INDIAN
SCENARIO
AGENCIES
IN INDIA
 • Syal S. Bioterrorism: Time to Wake Up. Curr Sci. 2008;95:1665–6.

• Bioterrorism- Public health System To Remain Alert. CD Alert, Monthly Newsletter of

National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Directorate General of Health Services,
Government of India. 2001 Sep-Oct;5:1–12.

• Gautam V, Shekhar S, Arora D, Arora B. Bioterrorism: Historical Prospective. [Last

cited on 2012 Jan 15];The Internet Journal of Biological Anthropology. 2005 1:2.
Available from:
http://www.ispub.com:80/journal/theinternet-journal-of-biological-anthropology/volum
e-1-number-2/bioterrorism-historical-perspective.html
. [Google Scholar]

REFERENCES • World Health Organization. “International Health Regulations enter into force”. [Last
cited on 2012 Jan 15]. Available from: http://www.whoindia.org/en/section1_1417.asp .

• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 2008. [Last cited on 2012 Jan 15]. Available
from: http://mohfw.nic.in/NRHM/Presentation/IDSP_Oct_2008 .

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Internet] [cited on 15/01/2012]. Available
from: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/bioterrorism/
THANKS