NCJ Number
189447
Journal
Emerging Infectious Diseases Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 1999 Pages: 561-563
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the lessons learned from a scenario of a large city infected with anthrax.
Abstract
The scenario of a large teaching hospital being confronted with the diagnosis of anthrax is presented. The typical case of anthrax was described to a doctor at the hospital with the question of what the procedure would be if a patient came down with these symptoms. The doctor confessed that the typical early case of inhalation anthrax would have a presumed diagnosis of flu, and the patient would probably be sent home. After visiting radiology and the laboratory, it was concluded that neither would have presumed a diagnosis including anthrax. A call to the State health department was made with a message left inquiring about bioterrorism. The call was returned three days later with the response that there was a phone number to call but no one knew it and it was not in the hospital directory or on 911 listings. One phone call to the State health department would set into motion a cascade of events that would include an immediate effort by State epidemiologists to review the data and confirm the diagnosis. They would then contact the appropriate agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Emergency Medical Services System, and the Emergency Management Agency. It is recommended that resources include an allocation to the private sector to permit training and planning programs that represent a true partnership between public and private sources.