With the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the subsequent anthrax attacks, Americans came to the realization that terrorists have the knowledge and capability to strike anywhere. No longer could we look at terrorism in other countries and feel confident that it wouldn’t happen here in our own country. With this new reality came the recognition that we as health care workers need to know about the pathogens that are most likely to be used in a future attack and how best to respond if another attack ever occurs. This course provides a brief history of bioterrorism and identifies the six agents or classes of agents most likely to be used as weapons: anthrax, smallpox, pneumonic plague, botulinum toxin, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Familiarity with these agents will help health care workers recognize the features that can be used to distinguish an attack from a naturally occurring disease.

The purpose of this program is to inform nurses about the history, epidemiology, diagnoses, and treatment of the infectious agents most likely to be used in a bioterrorism attack.

After studying the information presented here, you will be able to —

• Discuss biological weapon use in the United States.
• Identify potential bioterrorist agents and describe methods for dissemination.
• Describe how to recognize bioterrorism, the initial patient assessment, and the isolation precautions and decontamination procedures used for each agent.
• Discuss anthrax and smallpox, including the signs and symptoms and treatment options.
• Discuss additional agents: botulism, plague, tularemia, and the viral hemorrhagic fever viruses, including the signs and symptoms and treatment options.