Bioterrorism

While the United Nations weapons inspectors continue their search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the discovery of ricin in a flat in north London has focused attention on weapons of mass destruction a little closer to home. I, like the average punter, have a pretty good understanding of what ricin is (a chemical warfare agent), where it comes from (castor oil beans), and how it is spread (not very effectively, it seems). However, if you'd have asked me what it was two months ago I would probably have guessed it was some kind of raising agent used in bread making.

This has made me wonder what other chemical or biological agents are out there that I don't know about, and how would we recognise and treat them? One answer comes from the National Electronic Library for Health Emergency Care website (www.nelh-ec.warwick.ac.uk/), which provides information for emergency clinicians dealing with victims of real or suspected biochemical attack. There's also a link for members of the public to gain access to health information through NHS Direct. The site covers everything from anthrax, botulism, and smallpox to less well known agents such as tularaemia, glanders, and melioidosis. You can download a PDF of the Public Health Laboratory Service guidelines, which summarise the clinical features, management, and decontamination measures. There are also some helpful clinical tips and photographs of cardinal clinical signs.