US plans drugs stockpile to counter bioterrorism threat

US public health experts are working with law enforcement, intelligence, and defence agencies to make contingency plans for dealing with a bioterrorist attack.

Federal health officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said that public health departments, on a local and state level, should be given the chief responsibility for responding in the event of any bioterrorist incident.

In a statement entitled Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response, the CDC says that a strong and flexible public health infrastructure is the best defence against outbreaks of any disease, including a pandemic or terrorist attack. The centres were "exploring new approaches for the rapid identification of unusual events, including diseases of unknown etiology and disease caused by a deliberate release of pathogenic agents by a terrorist or as a weapon of war."

The CDC says it is working to develop diagnostic tools to detect biological and chemical agents on a national level; strengthen surveillance and the capacity for epidemiological investigation; and enhance communications systems. It is also creating a national pharmaceutical stockpile, which can be called upon in response to an episode caused by a biological or chemical agent. The CDC has designated the Department of Veterans Affairs as its primary acquisition partner in building and managing the stockpile.

 

Health authorities will be taught to identify bioagents such as anthrax (top) and smallpox (bottom)

This is the first time that the CDC has collaborated with law enforcement, intelligence, and defence agencies, in addition to traditional CDC partners such as state and local health agencies, to address a national security threat. Expert working groups convened by CDC gave priority to the following bioagents: smallpox, anthrax, pneumonic plague, tularaemia, botulinum toxin, and viral haemorrhagic fevers.

The working groups also identified chemical agents: sarin, vesicants such as sulphur mustard, and cyanide. The CDC said it would work closely with state and local health authorities over the next five years to improve their ability to identify these bioagents and to respond appropriately.

The CDC plan can be accessed at www.bt.cdc.gov

Fred Charatan, Florida


studentBMJ 2000;08:175-216 June ISSN 0966-6494