COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF BIOTERRORISM

Course overview

BIOTERRORISM INVOLVES THE DELIBERATE RELEASE OF BIOWEAPONS TO CAUSE DEATH OR DISEASE IN HUMANS, ANIMALS, OR PLANTS. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS MAY BE DEVELOPED OR USED AS PART OF A GOVERNMENT POLICY IN BIOLOGICAL WARFARE OR BY TERRORIST GROUPS OR CRIMINALS. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CAN INITIATE LARGE-SCALE EPIDEMICS WITH AN UNPARALLELED LETHALITY, AND NATION-STATES AND TERRORIST GROUPS HAVE USED DANGEROUS AND DESTRUCTIVE BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS IN THE PAST. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE TYPES, EVALUATION, AND TREATMENT OF DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS THAT HAVE BEEN USED AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE USED IN BIOTERRORISM ATTACKS AND DISCUSSES THE ROLE OF THE INTER-PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING CATASTROPHIC EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH BIOTERRORISM.