Local public health officials have provided the following answers to basic questions about Biological and Chemical Agents. These questions and answers will be updated as frequently as possible to provide up-to-date public information. If you have additional questions, please call the Public Health Dept. at 831-454-4339.

• What is Bioterrorism?

• Where can I get the smallpox vaccine?

• What is anthrax?

• Where can I get the anthrax vaccine?

• Should my doctor prescribe preventive antibiotics against anthrax, plague, or other bioterrorist threat diseases?

• Should individuals or health care providers be stockpiling antibiotics in case of a bioterrorist attack?

• What can I do to prepare my family and me for a bioterrorist event?

• What protection would I get with a gas mask?

Bioterrorism is the overt or covert dispensing of disease pathogens by individuals, groups, or governments for the explicit purpose of causing death or disease in humans, animals, or plants. Biological terrorism agents include both living microorganisms (bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and fungi), and toxins (chemicals) produced by microorganisms, plants, or animals.

Smallpox vaccine is supplied only to certain laboratory workers who are at risk of infection with smallpox-like viruses as a result of their occupation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, is authorized to release the vaccine only to these workers under a permit by the Food and Drug Administration. The CDC is not allowed to release smallpox vaccine to any other person for any reason. The CDC and other government agencies are making plans to be able to respond to protect the public if a bioterrorism attack were to occur. At this point these plans do not include routine vaccination with smallpox vaccine.

Anthrax is a disease normally associated with plant-eating animals (sheep, goats, cattle, and, to a lesser degree, swine). It is caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax has been recognized as an illness for centuries. Once common where livestock were raised, it is now controlled through animal vaccination programs. Anthrax still occurs in countries where animals are not vaccinated, mainly in Africa and Asia. It does occur infrequently in many countries, including the United States.

Human infection with anthrax usually results from direct contact with infected animals, or animal products such as wool, meat or hides. However, when anthrax is used as a biological weapon, people become infected by breathing anthrax spores that are released into the air. Inhalation anthrax is the disease that results from breathing anthrax spores.

Symptoms of inhalation anthrax can begin as early as 24 hours after breathing the spores. Initial symptoms include: fever, cough, and weakness and usually progress to breathing problems, shock, and death.

Anthrax vaccine is not available commercially except to members of the military. Members of the military may be at higher risk of exposure because of their occupation. At this time public health officials do not recommend routine vaccination of civilians with anthrax vaccine.

No unusual illnesses or deaths suggestive of bioterrorism have been reported in California, nor have there been any credible threats of bioterrorism. Therefore, preventive antibiotics are not needed for anthrax, plague, or any other bioterrorist threat diseases, and public health officials do not recommend prescribing them. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to unnecessary harmful side effects and to development of antibiotic-resistant organisms.

There are no public health recommendations for stockpiling of antibiotics by individuals or physicians. If a bioterrorist attack were to occur, local and state public health departments will be responsible for disseminating uniform treatment guidelines appropriate to the situation and for ensuring coordinated and rapid distribution of antibiotics to medical facilities, medical and other response personnel, and to exposed or ill members of the general public. The input of physician groups and hospital facilities is very important to local public health planning efforts for the distribution of pharmaceutical supplies if a bioterrorism event were to occur. We encourage physicians to join their hospital disaster planning committee and/or to contact their local health departments for more information.

The federal government has assembled a National Pharmaceutical Stockpile (NPS) to supplement local and state resources. The NPS includes immediate response Push Packages that are caches of pharmaceuticals, antidotes, and medical supplies designed to address a variety of biologic or chemical agents. The Push Packages are positioned in secure regional warehouses ready for immediate deployment to the airfield closest to the affected area within 12 hours of the federal decision to release NPS assets. This program is supplemented with a Vendor Managed Inventory program that ensures the continual supply of pharmaceuticals, antidotes, and medical supplies to an affected area when the NPS has been depleted.

Effective response to the release of germs and chemicals will depend on exactly what has been released and where. Some of these agents are communicable, meaning they can be passed on person-to-person, but many others are not. The response requires taking specific measures against what has been released.

The best preparation will be the health department's monitoring and surveillance which includes working with local hospitals and physicians to report any suspicious illnesses immediately. If a release were to happen, emergency response and treatment would be put in place and you would be provided information and instructions immediately. It's always a good idea to be prepared for any emergency by having water, food, a radio and other supplies on hand.

What protection would I get with a gas mask?

Gas masks could be effective under the right circumstances. What you should know is that it is very difficult to get adequate personal protection with gas masks. This is because each biological and chemical agent requires a different filter. If the filter doesn't match what has been released, you will not be protected. Also, you need a professional fitting and proper training to use the mask correctly.