Biodefense and Bioterrorism

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Basics

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Summary

A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs to cause illness or death. These germs are often found in nature. But they can sometimes be made more harmful by increasing their ability to cause disease, spread, or resist medical treatment.

Biological agents spread through the air, water, or in food. Some can also spread from person to person. They can be very hard to detect. They don't cause illness for several hours or days. Scientists worry that anthrax, botulism, Ebola and other hemorrhagic fever viruses, plague, or smallpox could be used as biological agents.

Biodefense uses medical measures to protect people against bioterrorism. This includes medicines and vaccinations. It also includes medical research and preparations to defend against bioterrorist attacks.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• Biohazard Exposure (Department of Homeland Security) Also in Spanish
• Bioterrorism (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• In the Event of Bioterrorism: Protecting Families from Deadly Diseases (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Mass Psychogenic Illness (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Respirator Fact Sheet (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Also in Spanish
• Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) (Department of Health and Human Services)

Specifics

• Abrin (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Arsine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Chlorine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Cyanide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Lewisite (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Mustard Gas (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Nitrogen Mustards (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Phosgene (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Ricin (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Riot Control Agents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Sarin: Chemical Fact Sheet (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Sodium Azide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Soman (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Strychnine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Tabun (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• VX (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Evaluation of the Potential of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry...
• Article: Multiomic analysis of Lewisite exposed human dermal equivalent tissues.
• Article: The blistering warfare agent O-mustard (agent T) generates protein-adducts with human...
• Biodefense and Bioterrorism -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• Department of Homeland Security
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases