Bioterrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction for Healthcare Providers

Course overview

Terrorism is generally considered to be the use of force or violence outside the law to create fear among citizens with the intent to coerce some sort of ideological, financial, religious, or political action. Terror tactics may include biologic, chemical, nuclear, or explosive events. All health professionals need to be prepared for a terrorist attack. Establishing a diagnosis is critical to the public health response to a bioterrorism-related epidemic because the appropriate diagnosis will lead to effective treatments to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with a terrorist attack. This learning activity will provide an overview of the various weapons of mass destruction, signs, and symptoms that a patient may present with, and the various treatment modalities to reduce morbidity and mortality.