Laboratory response to anthrax bioterrorism, New York City, 2001

In October 2001, the greater New York City Metropolitan Area was the scene of a bioterrorism attack. The scale of the public response to this attack was not foreseen and threatened to overwhelm the Bioterrorism Response Laboratory's (BTRL) ability to process and test environmental samples. In a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emerging infectious diseases 2002-10, Vol.8 (10), p.1096-1102
Main Authors: Heller, Michael B, Bunning, Michel L, France, Martin E B, Niemeyer, Debra M, Peruski, Leonard, Naimi, Tim, Talboy, Phillip M, Murray, Patrick H, Pietz, Harald W, Kornblum, John, Oleszko, William, Beatrice, Sara T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Analysis
Anthrax
Anthrax - diagnosis
Anthrax - epidemiology
Bacillus anthracis
Bacillus anthracis - isolation & purification
Bioterrorism
Diagnosis
Dispatch
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Epidemiological Monitoring
Health aspects
Information Management - methods
Investigations
Laboratories - manpower
Laboratories - organization & administration
Laboratories - utilization
Medical Laboratory Personnel
New York
New York City - epidemiology
Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
Population Surveillance - methods
Risk Factors
Security Measures
Specimen Handling - methods
United States
Workload
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Summary:In October 2001, the greater New York City Metropolitan Area was the scene of a bioterrorism attack. The scale of the public response to this attack was not foreseen and threatened to overwhelm the Bioterrorism Response Laboratory's (BTRL) ability to process and test environmental samples. In a joint effort with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the cooperation of the Department of Defense, a massive effort was launched to maintain and sustain the laboratory response and return test results in a timely fashion. This effort was largely successful. The development and expansion of the facility are described, as are the special needs of a BTRL. The establishment of a Laboratory Bioterrorism Command Center and protocols for sample intake, processing, reporting, security, testing, staffing, and and quality control are also described.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059
DOI:10.3201/eid0810.020376