Book Description

Medical defense against biological warfare or terrorism is an area of study unfamiliar to most military and civilian health care providers during peacetime. In the aftermath of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, it became obvious that the threat of biological attacks against U.S. soldiers was real. Increased incidents and threats of domestic terrorism (e.g., New York City World Trade Center bombing), as well as numerous anthrax hoaxes around the country have brought the issue home to civilians as well. Other issues, including the disclosure of a sophisticated offensive biological warfare program in the former Soviet Union, have reinforced the need for increased training and education of health care professionals on how to prevent and treat biological warfare casualties. The Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course taught at both USAMRIID and USAMRICD trains over 560 military medical professionals each year on both biological and chemical medical defense. The highly successful 3-day USAMRIID satellite course on the Medical Management of Biological Casualties has reached over 40,000 medical personnel over the last three years. Through this handbook and the training courses noted above, medical professionals will learn that effective medical countermeasures are available against many of the bacteria, viruses, and toxins that might be used as biological weapons against our military forces or civilian communities. New chapters have been added on melioidosis, the medical management of a biological weapon attack, and the use of epidemiologic clues in determining whether an outbreak might have been intentionally spread. In addition, a reference appendix has been added for those interested in more in-depth reading on this subject. The handbook serves as a concise pocket-sized manual that will guide medical personnel on the front lines in the prophylaxis and management of biological casualties. (89 refs.)