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The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US
The use of biological agents as weapons to disrupt established structures, such as governments and especially larger urban populations, has been prevalent throughout history. Following the anthrax letters sent to various government officials in the fall of 2001, the US has been investing in preventi...
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2014
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Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4199656/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25328421 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S56047 |
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author | Grundmann, Oliver |
author_facet | Grundmann, Oliver |
author_sort | Grundmann, Oliver |
collection | PubMed |
description | The use of biological agents as weapons to disrupt established structures, such as governments and especially larger urban populations, has been prevalent throughout history. Following the anthrax letters sent to various government officials in the fall of 2001, the US has been investing in prevention, surveillance, and preparation for a potential bioterrorism attack. Additional funding authorized since 2002 has assisted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency to invest in preventative research measures as well as preparedness programs, such as the Laboratory Response Network, Hospital Preparedness Program, and BioWatch. With both sentinel monitoring systems and epidemiological surveillance programs in place for metropolitan areas, the immediate threat of a large-scale bioterrorist attack may be limited. However, early detection is a crucial factor to initiate immediate response measures to prevent further spread following dissemination of a biological agent. Especially in rural areas, an interagency approach to train health care workers and raise awareness for the general public remain primary tasks, which is an ongoing challenge. Risk-management approaches in responding to dissemination of biological agents, as well as appropriate decontamination measures that reduce the probability of further contamination, have been provided, and suggest further investments in preparedness and surveillance. Ongoing efforts to improve preparedness and response to a bioterrorist attack are crucial to further reduce morbidity, mortality, and economic impact on public health. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-4199656 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2014 |
publisher | Dove Medical Press |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-41996562014-10-17 The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US Grundmann, Oliver Risk Manag Healthc Policy Review The use of biological agents as weapons to disrupt established structures, such as governments and especially larger urban populations, has been prevalent throughout history. Following the anthrax letters sent to various government officials in the fall of 2001, the US has been investing in prevention, surveillance, and preparation for a potential bioterrorism attack. Additional funding authorized since 2002 has assisted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency to invest in preventative research measures as well as preparedness programs, such as the Laboratory Response Network, Hospital Preparedness Program, and BioWatch. With both sentinel monitoring systems and epidemiological surveillance programs in place for metropolitan areas, the immediate threat of a large-scale bioterrorist attack may be limited. However, early detection is a crucial factor to initiate immediate response measures to prevent further spread following dissemination of a biological agent. Especially in rural areas, an interagency approach to train health care workers and raise awareness for the general public remain primary tasks, which is an ongoing challenge. Risk-management approaches in responding to dissemination of biological agents, as well as appropriate decontamination measures that reduce the probability of further contamination, have been provided, and suggest further investments in preparedness and surveillance. Ongoing efforts to improve preparedness and response to a bioterrorist attack are crucial to further reduce morbidity, mortality, and economic impact on public health. Dove Medical Press 2014-10-09 /pmc/articles/PMC4199656/ /pubmed/25328421 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S56047 Text en © 2014 Grundmann. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. |
spellingShingle | Review Grundmann, Oliver The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US |
title | The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US |
title_full | The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US |
title_fullStr | The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US |
title_full_unstemmed | The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US |
title_short | The current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the US |
title_sort | current state of bioterrorist attack surveillance and preparedness in the us |
topic | Review |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4199656/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25328421 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S56047 |
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