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Bioterrorism preparedness surveillance and epidemiology Bioterrorism questions and answers
Is a bioterrorism attack likely in Oregon? No. However, state and local health officials have plans to deal with the potential threat. Local public health officials and health care providers are being alerted to watch for and report any unusual disease clusters that could indicate an outbreak of anthrax or other biological agent.Should doctors stockpile antibiotics? No. The federal government has an emergency stockpile to supplement local and state health department resources.Should Oregonians buy gas masks? The chances of a widespread attack in Oregon using a chemical agent or a biological agent such as anthrax is extremely remote. And gas masks do not guard against biological agents such as anthrax. However, a gas mask can reduce anxiety in a person who is fearful of such an event. People who purchase a gas mask should make sure it fits properly and that they are trained in its use. The Postal Service delivers millions of pieces of mail every day. The US Postmaster General recently said he can not guarantee the safety of the mail, but can guarantee that "the 800,000 Postal Service employees are using everything they've learned, doing everything humanly possible, to keep the mail safe and keep it moving". Learn more about what the Postal Service is doing to protect the mail.
What should Oregonians be aware of regarding their mail?
What should Oregonians do if they receive a suspicious parcel in the mail? Do not try to open it. Isolate it, evacuate the immediate area, and call 911. Unless you hear otherwise from a public health official, you should consider your domestic water supply safe. Domestic water supplies would be very hard to contaminate with biological agents. Municipal water supplies are protected by security measures which have been increased as the threat of terrorism has increased. The large volume of water contained in reservoirs make it unlikely that anyone would receive an infectious dose of a biological agent. Domestic water supplies are filtered and treated to remove or kill most disease-causing agents. Commercially packaged foods are generally safe. They are processed in well-controlled conditions under the supervision of the company and government agencies in many instances. Packaging is designed to be tamper-resistant. Prepackaged foods you purchase from your grocery should also be considered safe.What about unpackaged foods like fruits and vegetables? Again, these are processed and handled under controlled conditions. They should always be washed before being eaten, and that is the best protection against the unlikely event that someone would purposefully contaminate them. The largest bioterrorism incident in the United States took place right here in Oregon when a group contaminated salad bars in The Dalles with Salmonella bacteria, causing over 750 people to become ill. While restaurants could again be subject to an attack, the likelihood is very small. Restaurants are very careful about the food and their service environment. Oregonians should immediately report anything suspicious or unusual that they see in a restaurant or market to management. Issued by: Oregon Dept. of Human ServicesDate: October 16, 2001 Updated: October 29, 2001 Return to top |
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