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Bioterrorism Information and Resources Links 
New sources will continue to be added.
Links are current upon posting, but may expire or move over time.

AAFP Bioterrorism Response Resources for Medical Professionals 
http://www.btresponse.org 
The site has marshalled materials to help you answer patients' questions about bioterrorism; to recognize terrorist threats and events without overreacting; and to know what, when and where to report. 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 
http://www.bioterrorism.uab.edu 
The AHRQ site is aimed at assisting clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of potential "high priority biological diseases," including anthrax, smallpox, botulism, and plague.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections Site 
http://www.bioterrorism.uab.edu 
This site has been designed to provide resource information and continuing education about rare infections and potential bioterrorist agents. Includes a photo series of identifying certain infections and bioterrorism agents.

AHRQ Bioterrorism Readiness Evaluation Tool for Healthcare Facilities 
http://www.ahrq.gov/about/cpcr/bioterr.pdf 
The information and data obtained from this questionnaire will be used to help assess the preparedness and capacity of your hospital to respond to and treat victims of biological incident.

The American Academy of Family Physicians 
http://www.btresponse.org 
The AAFP website provides information for physicians about the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses resulting from bioterrorism attacks. The site offers streaming video presentations, patient handouts, selected links, news updates, and updated literature from various federal agencies.

American Academy of Pediatrics 
http://www.aap.org/terrorism/index.html 
Written to enhance the role and capabilities of pediatricians in planning for and responding to natural disasters and bioterrorist events and to ensure that the special needs of children are considered and incorporated into local, state, regional, and federal disaster preparedness planning and response.

The American Civil Defense Association 
http://www.tacda.org/ 
TACDA promotes dual-use preparations wherever possible, so that the cost of preparing for disasters is offset by normal day-to-day utility (such as with the Swiss concept of using parking garages for blast shelters). In addition, the dual-use concept can extend into the dimension of ensuring that preparations for natural disasters are done in such a way that preparations for war or terrorism are also addressed.

American College of Emergency Physicians 
http://www.acep.org/webportal/membercenter/sections/dis/default.htm 
ACEP has gathered some tremendous bioterrorism and disaster medicine resources.

American Medical Association Disaster Preparedness and Medical Response 
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/6206.html 
The American Medical Association (AMA) is acting on bioterrorism across a wide spectrum in response to the attacks on 9/11/01 and the subsequent bioterrorism events. In addition to working on preparedness with agencies and associations in both the public and private sector, the AMA has created this Web site for physicians and the general public.

American Red Cross Talking About Disaster: Guide 
http://www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/guide.html 
This guide has been developed to assist anyone providing disaster safety information to the public. The information is based on historical data for the United States and is appropriate for use in the United States. Some information may not be applicable in other countries.

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology 
http://www.apic.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PracticeGuidance/Topics/Bioterrorism/Bioterrorism.htm 
This handy section includes information on bioterrorism agents (with agents information sheets), the economic impact of a bioterrorism attack, readiness planning, resources, vaccination information, and more.

Bioterrorism Preparedness 
http://www.asm.org/topicmap.asp?Topic=19 
American Society for Microbiology's site about bioterrorism agents. Topics include: detection and treatment, legislation, laboratory safety and more. The site also includes a summary of a Congressional briefing and testimony before House and Senate subcommittees.

Bioterrorism Resources 
http://www.ssmonline.org/Links/bioterrorism.asp 
Developed by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN) publication, SSM (formerly Surgical Services Management), there is much pertinent information here, including the Disaster Preparedness Resources section.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response 
http://www.bt.cdc.gov 
The CDC has assembled a stellar site on bioterrorism preparedness. It includes a listing of biological agents/diseases and chemical agents that links to comprehensive medical information about these agents. A section on planning includes information hospitals can use to develop preparedness procedures and policies. A section on state and local preparedness provides a map of the United States that links to individual state assessments of their preparedness status. There is even a section with a model emergency communications plan, and a place where the media can obtain fact sheets about the different agents.

Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) 
General Bioterrorism Information
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/bt/bioprep 
This site provides news and information about bioterrorism agents, Monkeypox, SARS and chemical terrorism.

Cipro Treatment for Anthrax 
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2001/safety01.htm#cipro 
FDA reminds all health professionals and the general public that Cipro is approved for the inhaled form of anthrax after an individual has been exposed. Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients and adolescents less than 18 years of age have not been established, except for use in inhalational anthrax (post-exposure). The FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has posted a comprehensive web page on the use of Cipro for inhalational anthrax.

DisasterHelp.gov
https://www.disasterhelp.gov/suite/ 
A website specifically for citizens, emergency responders ,and government officials can go for the latest disaster-related news, information and resources.

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Association 
http://www.disasters.org 
DERA is a membership organization founded in 1962 as a nonprofit association linking professionals, volunteers and organizations active in all phases of disaster preparedness and emergency management. DERA remains an independent, nongovernmental organization (NGO) with dual missions of professional support and disaster service.

Doxycycline Treatment for Anthrax 
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/doxycycline/advisory.htm 
FDA reminds all health professionals and the general public that Doxycycline is approved for the treatment of anthrax in all its forms. The FDA is providing additional information concerning the dosing regimen for the treatment of anthrax, including cutaneous and inhalation anthrax (post-exposure). The currently recommended dosage regimen of doxycycline for severe disease is 100 mg every 12 hours for adults and 1mg per pound (2.2mg per kilogram) every 12 hours for children less than 100 pounds. These dosage regimens are appropriate for use in patients who have been exposed to anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) regardless of the route of exposure.

eMedicine Disaster Planning 
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic718.htm 
Although the world has yet to experience a terrorist-related nuclear disaster, the raw materials and technology exist to develop nuclear devices as small portable units. No location is immune from the devastating effects of terrorism. Various methods have been developed to assist planners in disaster preparation. One, a modification of the Injury Severity Score, is based on cause, effect, area involved, number of casualties, and other parameters. The potential injury creating event (PICE) system is designed to identify common aspects of a disaster and of response capabilities. Such systems are especially valuable tools in planning for disaster mitigation.

Emerging Infections and Potential Bioterrorist Agents: University of Alabama/Birmingham
http://www.bioterrorism.uab.edu/EmergingInfections/emerginginfections.htm 
The U.S. public health system and primary health-care providers must be prepared to address varied biological agents, including pathogens that are rarely seen in the United States. The site offers a complete CME module for teaching clinicians to identify and handle the emergence of a high-priority infectious and other biological threats.

Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.fema.gov/ 
This site provides all-purpose emergency guidance on virtually any type of emergency possible, from hurricanes to wildfires to bioterrorism and chemical attack. It also provides a graphical representation of the Department of Homeland Security's threat level color designation. There is a section in Spanish, and a section for children. Disaster fact sheets, flood maps and a map of current disasters are also available.

Health & Human Services Smallpox 
http://www.smallpox.gov 
This all-encompassing site provides information about smallpox for healthcare providers, public health professionals, kids, teens, parents, laboratory professionals, media, and the military. Basic smallpox information is available in both English and Spanish. Information also can be found about immunizations, and a response plan and guidelines.

Healthcare Professionals at the Forefront: Accurately Diagnosing Anthrax Cases 
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bioterrorism.html 
The continuing possibility of public anthrax exposure means healthcare professionals in any community might find themselves on the front lines at any time, responsible for diagnosing, reporting, and treating suspected cases of the disease. The FDA has created a special online section that covers bioterrorism preparedness and anthrax treatments.

International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education 
http://www.incmce.org/index.html 
This organization has written "Educational Competencies for Registered Nurses Responding to Mass Casualty Incidents." The competencies developed by the INCMCE provide the framework for curriculum development for nurses in mass casualty education. There is also a listing of schools with disaster preparedness curricula.

John Hopkins University Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies 
http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org 
This site contains some very thorough agent fact sheets on anthrax, small pox, botulinum toxin and more. It also provides information on a bioterrorism exercise it ran earlier in 2001 and the outcomes/lessons learned. Of interest to medical personnel is the Library section, which features clinical articles, book reviews and extensive reading lists. The Internet Resources section is also good for finding other information.

Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
Five in-depth articles published between 1999-2001 spotlight anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulinum toxin, and tularemia. The 30-plus page articles present the history and potential of the organism as a biological weapon, epidemiology, microbiology and virulence factors, pathogenesis and clinical manifestations and more.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/indexbt.html 
An information roundup of anthrax and bioterrorism stories and articles of interest. In particular, there is an article on distinguishing the symptoms of inhalation anthrax from influenza.

National Academies Press: Responding First to Bioterrorism 
http://www.nap.edu/firstresponders/In_site_indexes.html 
A page with links to bioterrorism-related information within a single site.

Office of Emergency Preparedness 
http://oep-ndms.dhhs.gov 
OEP is an office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has the Departmental responsibility for managing and coordinating Federal health, medical, and health related social services and recovery to major emergencies and Federally declared disasters.

Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response 
www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties 
This site is designed to provide information and tools to help the public, public health professionals, and clinicians prepare for and respond to mass trauma.

Ready.gov 
http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html 

University of Nebraska Medical Center's Readiness and Response to Bioterrorism 
http://www.unmc.edu/bioterrorism/ 
In response to recent bioterrorist attacks, the University of Nebraska Medical Center offers its resources to answer questions and address concerns. Our experts in infectious disease, emergency response and research are monitoring the situation and responding to requests from across the nation for assistance and guidance.

Weapons of Mass Destruction First Responders 
http://www.wmdfirstresponders.com 
The aptly named "first lines of defense," first responders are the emergency personnel who reach disaster areas first and many times mean the difference between life and death for the victims. This site is mainly a comprehensive links listing to pertinent information, but it also provides information on training courses and even includes a WMD quiz to test your knowledge.


Other Links of Interest 

72Hours.org 
http://www.72hours.org/ 
For residents of the San Franciso area, this site offers many resources in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. The site's name refers to how long vital services may take to be restored after a disaster occurs.

Disaster Resources: University of Illinois Extension 
http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/ 
Although primarily for citizens of Illinois and the university's staff, this site provides access to information on disaster preparedness and recovery for the State of Illinois and the Internet community. Information is available from the University of Illinois Extension, along with links to disaster agencies, organizations, and information networks.

Doctors for Disaster Preparedness 
http://www.oism.org/Ddp/ 
DDP promotes homeland defense and prudent preparedness for disasters of all kinds, including war or terrorism. Its annual meeting brings together America's foremost authorities on strategic and civil defense as well as prominent scientists speaking on real threats or manufactured scares.

The Humane Society of the United States
http://hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center 
The Humane Society of the United States actively assists animals caught in the aftermath of a natural or manmade disaster, emergency or crisis.

Medical, Mental Health Communities Mobilize to Cope With Terror's Psychological Aftermath 
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/286/15/1823 (Subscription required)
During the weeks and months following the terrorist attacks, helping those who have psychological trauma will be an ongoing challenge for primary care physicians and mental health care professionals.


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