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Emergency Preparedness: General Sites

Fall/Winter 2005 Four years later…Are we prepared yet?

Bioterrorism: Selected Research and Commentary, RAND Hot Topics, August 19, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/hot_topics/bioterrorism.html
A variety of reports by RAND on aspects of bioterrorism and preparedness. Recent titles include: Twelve Best Practices for Public Health Preparedness, Criteria for Improving Public Health Preparedness, The Lessons of London, and Terrorism's Psychological Effects and the Role of Physicians.

City Data. [no date].
http://www.city-data.com/
City Data offers data from numerous sources on many U.S. cities: pictures, maps, satellite photos, statistics about residents (race, income, ancestries, education, employment...), geographical data, crime data, housing, businesses, political contributions, weather, hospitals, schools, libraries, houses, airports, radio and TV stations, zip codes, area codes, user-submitted facts, similar cities list, and comparisons to averages.

Emergency Preparedness Resource Inventory (EPRI). AHRQ.
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/epri/
The Emergency Preparedness Resource Inventory (EPRI) is "a tool allowing local or regional planners to assemble an inventory of critical resources that would be useful in responding to a bioterrorist attack. In addition to a Web-based software tool, EPRI includes an Implementation Report, a Technical Manual, and an Appendix." This is not a desktop program. A server as well as this software is required to run this program online. Download appropriate files from the EPRI site. A demonstration version of the tool located at: http://www.resource-inventory.org. Use the following information to access the site: username: demoadmin / password: demo.

Holden P. Improvising in an Emergency. NEJM. 353:541-543, 8/11/05, Number 6.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/6/541
Peter Holden, a family physician working at the British Medical Association, describes how 14 doctors with no equipment, no communications, and no personal protective clothing set about maximizing the victims' chances of survival following the bus explosion in London, England, on July 7, 2005. Holden's description of the incident in the article and subsequent interview is gripping. Listen to the interview with Dr. Holden at www.nejm.org . (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/6/541/DC1).

Homeland Security, Office for Domestic Preparedness Preparation. August 29, 2005. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/welcome.html
The Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) "is a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (SLGCP). SLGCP is the federal government's lead agency responsible for preparing the nation against terrorism by assisting states, local and tribal jurisdictions, and regional authorities as they prevent, deter, and respond to terrorist acts. SLGCP provides a broad array of assistance to America's first responders through funding, coordinated training, exercises, equipment acquisition, and technical assistance."

Public Health and Preparedness (1995-Present). Various authors. National Health Policy Forum. [various dates].
http://www.nhpf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=SearchCatalogue&iissueid=10
A list of public health preparedness resources by various authors from the National Health Policy Forum. The resources include forums, background papers, site visit descriptions, and position papers.

Preparation & Planning, Emergency Preparedness & Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 18, 2005.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/planning/
This sub-section of the Emergency Preparedness & Response section provides the public with general preparedness information and information for businesses, healthcare facilities and state and local agencies. Also available is information on legal and planning issues, specific agents and health topics and contact information for those involved with emergency preparedness and response issues.

Preparedness Today: What You Need to Know. American Red Cross, July 28, 2005.
http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/CDC.asp
The American Red Cross and CDC have teamed up to answer common questions and provide guidance on steps you can take now to protect you and your loved ones. Intended for the public, the site describes what kinds of emergency supplies to put aside and advice on how, from food and water to disaster supplies kits. Tools for coping with terrorism for adults, parents, children, students, and seniors are also available.

Public Health Information and Data Tutorial. 2005.
http://phpartners.org/tutorial/
Public Health Information and Data Tutorial provides instruction for members of the public health workforce on issues related to information access and management. The tutorial is based on Public Health Information and Data: A Training Manual.

Public Health Preparedness: An Academic and Practice Partnership. Public Health Reports, Vol. 120/Supplement 1, 2005.
http://www.publichealthreports.org/archives/issuecontents.cfm?Volume=120&Issue=7
The entire issue is devoted to the topic of preparedness. Article topics include Project Public Health Ready, cross-border issues, academic-practice collaboration, bioterrorism response planning, curriculum development, and mental health.

Ready.gov. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). [no date].
http://www.ready.gov/
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a new Web site, Ready.gov. Targeted at the public - businesses, adults, and children - who will be able to obtain information on the best ways to protect themselves and their families against terrorism. Items such as: Making a Kit; Making a Plan; Becoming Informed; Dealing with Biological Threats, Chemical Threat, Explosions, Nuclear Blast, and Understanding Radiation Threat are available for reviewing. The childrens' section was not available at time of publication.

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health in the Age of Bioterrorism. Trust for America's Health (TFAH), 2004. [PDF]
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/bioterror04/
 TFAH's "second annual study of preparedness against public health emergencies finds that, despite incremental progress, three years after September 11, 2001, there is still a long way to go to protect the American people from a bioterror attack. The report examined 10 key indicators to gauge state preparedness and determine America's overall readiness to respond to bioterrorist attacks and other health emergencies. The scores demonstrate continued incremental progress; however, preparedness is still lagging behind goals and expectations. With most states still in the middle range of the scale and no states meeting all of the indicators, there are still major areas of vulnerability that leave Americans at risk. Overall, the report found that many basic bioterrorism detection, diagnosis, and response capabilities are still not in place."

The Vermont Health Alert Network and Training Site - Articles of Interest for Medical Personnel. [no date]
http://www.vdh.state.vt.us/med/medart.htm
Lengthy list of documents including articles from key journals and Web pages dealing with bioterrorism readiness and various biological, chemical or radiological agents. Most states have a HAN and emergency preparedness Web site.

State Emergency Management Divisions from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

The public should be aware of these state resources for the valuable hints for personal safety and for information on securing food and water during an emergency. Links to content and organizations that will respond to disasters and terrorist events will be of interest to adults and children.

Surveillance and Response Across International Borders

Global Emerging Infections Sentinel Network (GeoSentinel). 2005.

www.istm.org/geosentinel/main.html

GeoSentinel "is a provider-based sentinel network of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM), funded through a cooperative agreement with CDC. GeoSentinel consists of travel/tropical medicine clinics around the world that monitor geographic and temporal trends in morbidity among travelers and other globally mobile populations. A rapid worldwide query and response function electronically links 1,500 ISTM providers around the world." It started in 1995.

Syndromic Surveillance: Reports from a National Conference, 2004. MMWR, Volume 54, Supplement.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su5401toc.htm
The third annual Syndromic Surveillance Conference was held in Boston, Massachusetts, during November 3-4, 2004. During the conference, 134 presentations were given, including 18 at plenary sessions, 60 oral presentations, and 56 poster presentations. The entire list of presentations is available at http://www.syndromic.org/syndromicconference/2004/course_book/TAB_1.pdf . "The manuscripts and abstracts contained in this supplement represent a sampling of the relevant topics and perspectives for this complex subject area. The manuscripts are categorized into five content areas: 1) overview, policy, and systems; 2) data sources; 3) analytic methods; 4) simulation and other evaluation approaches; and 5) practice and experience."

Journal Articles

Doyle TJ, Bryan RT. Infectious disease morbidity in the US region bordering Mexico, 1990-1998. JID 2000;182(5):1503-10.
The Border Infectious Disease Surveillance (BIDS) Project is a binational surveillance system for infectious diseases along the U.S.-Mexico border. The network conducts active, sentinel surveillance for syndromes consistent with hepatitis and febrile-rash illness at clinical facilities in four areas on both sides of the border. BIDS was established to help public health officials better understand and detect important infectious disease problems along the U.S.-Mexico border. The project is a collaboration of CDC, nine U.S. and Mexican border state health departments, the Mexican Secretariat of Health, and the Pan American Health Organization. This is the first publication of this group. (PubMed)

Suggested Keywords

border health
cross-border cooperation


Pandemic Influenza


Avian Flu - What We Need to Know. The Avian Flu, what is it, what is known and what is being done about it? [updated regularly].
http://avianflu.typepad.com/
An avian flu Weblog whose purpose is to function as a clearinghouse and communication center on the topic of avian flu. The list of resources is comprehensive. The blog has been running since March 2005. The blog owner is Silviu Dochia from George Mason University, sdochia@gmu.edu.

The Coming Influenza Pandemic. Woodson G. 2005. [PDF]
http://www.fluwikie.com/uploads/Consequences/NewGuideOct7b.pdf
Written for Dr. Woodson's patients, this personal preparedness guide describes how to prepare for what Woodson believes is a likely flu pandemic. He describes what the epidemic is and goes on to discuss issues affecting medical treatment. He also makes practical suggestions about preparing yourself and your family for the likely societal disruption that will occur as a result of many sick people. Readers are told what the symptoms of influenza are and how to care for someone with the flu. Chilling to read, but possibly life-saving, document.

Epidemic!: The Natural History of Disease. San Diego Natural History Museum, [no date].
http://www.sdnhm.org/exhibits/epidemic/resources.html
Intended for the public, this site is quite useful and entertaining. It covers Microbes, Diseases and Prevention Tips, Epidemics (what they are), Interactive Sites for Students, discusses A Career in Public Health or Medicine?, offers Teaching Resources, Local Focus on Infectious Diseases: What to Know and Where to Go, and Other Links.

The Flu Wiki. [updated regularly]
http://www.fluwikie.com/index.php?n=Main.HomePage
A Wiki is a form of collaborative software that allows anyone to edit (change) any page on the site using a standard Web browser such as Explorer, Firefox, or Safari. The purpose of the Flu Wiki is to help local communities prepare for and perhaps cope with a possible influenza pandemic. Rich with resources covering basic scientific information, local and regional issues including personal and family preparedness, national and international influenza plans and surveillance and a timeline. Links to other resources. The site is run by Melanie Mattson.

Canada Sue. September 10, 2005.
http://www.fluwikie.com/index.php?n=Consequences.CanadaSue
Part of the Flu Wiki, this useful table top exercise titled Canada Sue brings the reader along as she imagines the pandemic in her hometown in Canada. An amazingly extensive and chilling scenario covering two years of pandemic flu outbreak. It was written in November 2004 for the CurEvents discussion board on flu.

FluAid Home, National Vaccine Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 25, 2000.
http://www2a.cdc.gov/od/fluaid/
FluAid is "a test version of software created by programmers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is designed to assist state and local level planners in preparing for the next influenza pandemic by providing estimates of potential impact specific to their locality. FluAid provides only a range of estimates of impact in terms of deaths, hospitalizations, and outpatients visits due to pandemic influenza. The software cannot describe when or how people will become ill, nor how a pandemic may spread through a society over time."

FluSurge, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 6, 2004.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/flusurge.htm
FluSurge is "a spreadsheet-based model which provides hospital administrators and public health officials estimates of the surge in demand for hospital-based services during the next influenza pandemic. FluSurge estimates the number of hospitalizations and deaths of an influenza pandemic (whose length and virulence are determined by the user) and compares the number of persons hospitalized, the number of persons requiring ICU care, and the number of persons requiring ventilator support during a pandemic with existing hospital capacity."

H5N1: News and Resources about Avian Flu. [updated regularly].
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/
This Weblog begun in March 2005 by Crawford Kilian is a rich resource of news, articles, and related resources on avian influenza. This site is definitely worth investigating for the breadth of content. It's also very interesting to read about all the various aspects of H5N1.

National Surveillance System for Health Care Workers (NaSH). July 21, 2000.
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/SURVEILL/nash.htm
The National Surveillance System for Health Care Workers (NaSH) was "developed by CDC in collaboration with health care facilities to systematically collect information important to prevent occupational exposures and infections among health care workers." This descriptive page links to the Surveillance page which has a list of Current Systems & Studies located at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/SURVEILL/Surveill.htm.

Pandemic Influenza: Threat, Preparedness, and Response. Bruce Gellin, Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP), Secretary's Council on Public Health Preparedness, May 3, 2004. [PDF].
http://www.hhs.gov/ophep/presentation/GELLIN%20council%205%203%2004%20final.pdf
"The pandemic clock is ticking. We just don't know what time it is." Unattributed quote from presentation by Bruce Gellin. His presentation gave an overview of the virus and its presence in Asia and described issues concerning the public health and health care system's readiness in the United States to meet the challenges of this potential epidemic. Other topics from this two-day conference, including workforce preparedness, hospital preparedness, and state and local preparedness. are worth examining at: http://www.hhs.gov/ophep/presentation/040503presentationlist.html .

Tick-Tock: Preparing for the Next Influenza Pandemic, by Eileen Salinsky, Principal Research Associate. National Health Policy Forum, August 27, 2004.
http://www.nhpf.org/pdfs_bp/BP%5FPandemicFlu%5F08%2D27%2D04%2Epdf
The paper "describes the nature of pandemic influenza and highlights key challenges for responding to this disease threat. It explains how an influenza pandemic would differ from annual influenza outbreaks and examines how a pandemic virus could emerge. It also explores important issues involved in pandemic preparedness capabilities, including disease surveillance, vaccine production and distribution, antiviral stockpiling, health care system readiness, and public health containment measures. The national pandemic preparedness plan is briefly reviewed, and unresolved policy issues related to the plan's implementation are identified."

Journal Articles

Stohr K. Avian influenza and pandemics research needs and opportunities. N Eng Jour Med 2005;352:405-7 (PubMed)

Meltzer M, Cox NJ, Fukuda K. The economic impact of pandemic influenza in the United States: priorities for intervention. Emerg Infect Dis. 1999;5:659-71. (PubMed)

Suggested Keywords

pandemics
pandemic flu
avian flu


Measuring Public Health Preparedness

A Conversation with the CDC. Harvard Center for Public Health Preparedness, May 8, 2003. [Webcast]
This interactive discussion examines "current efforts and future plans by the CDC, including: terrorism preparedness and planning, immediate lessons learned from the SARS experience, and ongoing problems and successes in translating federal policy into state and local preparedness." Panelists include Joseph Henderson, Barry Bloom, Robett Blendon, Leonard Marcus, Alfred DeMaria, Anita Barry, Dora Mills and Deborah Prothrow-Stith. An accompanying article describing the event can be found here: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/now/may30/terrorism.html.

Emergency Preparedness Challenges and Rewards: A Rural/frontier Public Health Perspective. Kuntz SW, Smilie J, Reynolds M. In: Conceptual Basis for Rural Nursing; HJ Lee, CA Winters, eds. Springer Publishing, New York, Springer Publishing Company, 1998.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0826111599/qid%3D1124989117/102-6620295-1880111
One of several relevant chapters appearing in Conceptual Basis for Rural Nursing.

Measuring and Evaluating Local Preparedness for a Chemical or Biological Terrorist Attack. Ronald D. Fricker Jr., Jerry O. Jacobson and Lois M. Davis. RAND, 2002.
http://www.fathom.com/feature/190104/
"In the spring and summer of 2001, RAND surveyed over 2000 local and state organizations about their preparedness for domestic terrorist events involving weapons of mass destruction. In this feature, RAND analysts Ronald D. Fricker, Jr., Jerry O. Jacobson and Lois M. Davis use data from the survey to evaluate whether local responders have taken measures to equip for a biological or chemical terrorist attack." This document comes from Fathom, an online learning site and is similar to an executive summary in length.

Measuring and Evaluating Local Preparedness for a Chemical or Biological Terrorist Attack. Ronald D. Fricker, Jr., Jerry O. Jacobson, Lois M. Davis. RAND, 2002.
http://www.rand.org/publications/IP/IP217/
"Recent terrorist events have focused attention on local, state, and national preparedness. This issue paper discusses the challenges of measuring preparedness for terrorist incidents and illustrates the difficulties using detailed, nationally representative data from local response organizations. It points out that a major challenge for policymakers is to formalize and systematize threat assessments and preparedness measures in order to provide a rational basis for future preparedness policy decisions." Also available in PDF free of charge.

State and Local Preparedness, Health Resources and Services Administration. [no date].
http://www.hrsa.gov/bioterrorism/preparationandplanning/state&local.htm
This Web page "links to a comprehensive assortment of guidance, response plans, and other publications aimed at assisting state and local agencies in preparing for a range of terrorist incidents. The documents listed below provide guidance for local governments and agencies based on existing organizational documents and plans including the Federal Response Plan, Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan, and agency plans of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Department of Energy (DOE)." Links to related information such as borderstates, Indian Nations, regions, metropolitan areas, and territories as well as to a variety of preparedness content including emergency response, CBRNE, mass casualty and cooperative planning.


Journal Articles and Thesis

Bialek R. Building the science base for public health practice. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2000; 6(5): 51-58. (PubMed)

Kuntz SW. Association between collaboration and bioterrorism preparedness in Montana: A local rural public health agency perspective. UMI Dissertation Services (UMI No. 312-6263), 2004.

Smilie J. Preparedness and response to bioterrorism and public health emergencies. Montana Policy Review. 2002; 9(2): 9-11.


Disaster Preparedness


Advanced Disaster Medical Response Manual for Providers. Briggs, Susan M. and Kathryn H. Brinsfield. Harvard Medical International Trauma & Disaster, 2003.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0972377204/102-6620295-1880111
Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) "are events incurring casualties large enough to disrupt the normal deployment of the emergency healthcare services of the affected community." The book describes mass casualty management, the incident command system, medical response to disasters, the public health response to disaster, decontamination, the medical response to terrorism (which includes chemical, biological, radioactive, and other responses), and care of specific injuries in disasters. Environmental considerations are also covered, as are psychological responses and care of the dead. This 199 page book covers a lot of ground.

Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness. HRSA. [no date].
http://www.hrsa.gov/bioterrorism/index.htm
The goal of this program is "to aid state, territory, and selected entities in improving the capacity of the health care system, including hospitals, emergency departments, outpatient facilities, EMS systems, and poison control centers, to respond to incidents requiring mass immunization, isolation, decontamination, diagnosis, and treatment, in the aftermath of terrorism or other public health emergencies." Links include cooperative agreements, preparation and planning, emergency response, CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives), mass casualty, media releases, and other government entities with an interest in this topic.

Canadian emergency department preparedness for a nuclear, biological or chemical event. Daniel Kollek, MD. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, Vol. 5 No. 1, January / janvier 2003.
http://caep.ca/template.asp?id=BF5C472E12F8462AA20D67358BD731C1
Using a cross-sectional online survey the author surveyed the chiefs of Canadian emergency departments in 2001. As of the date of publication, the "key finding of this study is that Canadian EDs - and by inference Canadian hospitals - are unprepared for a CBRN event, this despite their chiefs identifying the ED as being at risk." Questions dealt with risk assessment, general disaster preparedness, bio-preparedness, decontamination capability, and availability of equipment and antidotes. The survey instrument is included.

Evaluation of Hospital Disaster Drills: A Module-Based Approach. May 2004.
http://www.ahrq.gov/research/hospdrills/hospdrill.htm
"Hospitals must be prepared to respond to natural and manmade mass casualty incidents that may cause sudden demand on services. One of the foci of hospital disaster planning has been the use of drills to train employees in and to test aspects of hospital response. This tool makes it possible to evaluate hospital disaster drills by using evaluation modules and addenda. The value of this approach is to identify specific weaknesses for improvement and to promote continuing efforts to strengthen hospital disaster preparedness." Download the application in Word, HMTL, WordPerfect, or PDF.

Hometown Hospitals: The Weakest Link? Bioterrorism Readiness in America's Rural Hospitals. Elin A. Gursky, Senior Fellow for Biodefense and Public Health. June 2004.
http://www.ndu.edu/ctnsp/Def_Tech/Hometown_Hospitals.pdf
Describes workforce, financial, and funding barriers to bioterrorism readiness in rural hospitals. Five hospitals are profiled. Recommendations are made to improve the status of rural hospitals. Recommendations with action items include: 1. Develop a national consensus regarding the role of America's rural hospitals in bioterrorism preparedness. 2. Validate expectations of external assistance in the event of bioterrorism or a large-scale epidemic. 3. Engage all sectors in integrating community-based planning and response efforts. 4. Expand training and improve the understanding of biological threats. 5. Install a reliable and interoperable rural communications platform.

Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS). [no date].
http://members.aol.com/emcom4hosp/
Hospital Disaster Support Communications System "is a group of about 80 Amateur Radio ("ham") operators who have volunteered to provide backup internal and external communications for critical medical facilities in Orange County, California whenever normal communications are interrupted for any reason. Members of HDSCS attend meetings to learn about hospital communication needs, other emergency services/groups, hospital procedures and disaster plans. They practice regularly with the hospitals during both individual facility and county-wide drills." Contact April Moell, M.A. WA6OPS wa6ops@hdscs.org for more information.

Jane's Mass Casualty Handbooks. Hospital: Emergency Preparedness and Response. Joseph A. Barbera, Anthony G. Macintyre, Joseph Barbard and Anthony Mclntire. (Spiral edition), Jane's Information Group, 2003.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0710625928/qid=1125352807
The Jane's Mass Casualty Handbook "provides essential information for emergency response personnel preparing for, responding to and recovering from mass casualty incidents. The Hospital handbook is designed for physicians, nurses and other hospital-based personnel responding to mass casualty incidents particularly chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive." Describes programs, plans and specific chemical, biological and radiation preparedness issues. Comes with exercises and training information.

Project ER One: Scenarios of the 21st Century. [no date].
http://er1.org/docs/Risks%20Scenarios/EROneScenerio_files/frame.htm
This set of 61 HTML pages provides a "series of ten real-life-based risk scenarios focusing on Emergency Room Preparedness." The pages were developed by the Casualty Care Research Center and include the following scenarios: Transit Accident, Police Station, White Powder, Bus Explosion, High School Assault, Union Station, Warehouse Party, Mall Attack, Hostage, and Flu.

Resources, Hospital Readiness, Response and Recovery Resources, American Hospital Association. [no date].
http://www.aha.org/aha_app/issues/Emergency-Readiness/index.jsp
Annotated bibliography of resources for those dealing with all aspects of bioterrorism and hospital readiness. Content on this page is divided into these main topics: Readiness, Response and Recovery, Other Operational Resources, Media Relations, and Community Outreach. Look for documents on such topics as National Defense University: Hometown Hospitals: The Weakest Link? Bioterrorism Readiness in America's Rural Hospitals (June 2004), Medical-Surgical Supply Formulary by Disaster Scenario (March 2003), and JCAHO Guide to Emergency Management Planning in Health Care.

Trauma-Emergency Medical Services Systems. Health Research and Services Administration. [no date].
http://www.hrsa.gov/trauma/
The Program "facilitates the development of State/Territorial trauma system infrastructure that coordinates regional systems to administer quality, cost-effective care at the local level. The Program promotes prepared trauma systems that can respond to emergency/disaster situations, are coordinated with State emergency management and disaster planning efforts, and that function well on a day-to-day basis." State information, an overview, a brief description of the role of trauma registries, the mentor program, a link to a monthly update, and related resources are available.

Understanding the Role of the Rural Hospital Emergency Department in Responding to Bioterrorist Attacks and Other Emergencies: A Review of the Literature and Guide to the Issues. Claudia L. Schur. NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, University of Chicago. April 2004.
http://www.norc.org/NR/rdonlyres/66497628-EB22-4688-9471-EF21E2141F4E/0/WalshCtr2004_LitRev_final.pdf
After describing the way one hospital is planning its response to a biological or other terrorist incident, the author describes other important issues more broadly. Topics such as capacity, hospital preparedness plans, disease surveillance monitoring systems, and communications and coordination (horizontal and vertical) are described with examples from the literature and from news sources.

What Internet Services Would Patients Like From Hospitals During an Epidemic? Lessons from the SARS Outbreak in Toronto. Carlos A Rizo, Doina Lupea, Homayoun Baybourdy, Matthew Anderson, Tom Closson, Alejandro R Jadad. J Med Internet Res 2005 (Aug 3); 7(4):e46
Open Access (HTML): http://www.jmir.org/2005/4/e46/
Members Only (PDF): http://www.jmir.org/2005/4/e46/?pdf
"The aim of the study was to explore patients’ attitudes regarding the health services that might be provided through the Internet to supplement those traditionally available in the event of a future mass emergency situation."... "Most patients are willing and able to use the Internet as a means to maintain communication with the hospital during an outbreak of an infectious disease such as SARS. Hospitals should explore new ways to interact with the public, to provide relevant health information, and to ensure continuity of care when they are forced to restrict their services."

Suggested Keywords

emergency room preparedness
emergency department preparedness
hospital emergency preparedness
emergency communications networks
emergency medical services
hospital surge capacity
mass casualty/ies
mass fatalities
hospital readiness


Interagency Collaboration and the Incident Command System


Basic Incident Command System for Medical and Public Health Professionals. Anthony J. Carbone, MD, MS, MPH, Harvard Center for Public Health Preparedness, [no date] [PPT].
http://www.nimsonline.com/docs/ICS%20for%20Maine%20PH.ppt
Description: The objectives of this PowerPoint presentation are: to describe key concepts and principle of ICS and Unified Command; to name primary ICS positions; to identify five ICS functions and list the main responsibility of each function; to name the primary incident facilities; to describe how ICS allows for flexibility; to list the kinds and types of resources that are encountered are incidents; and to describe why it is important for medical and public health personnel to understand the Incident Command System.

Command and Control of Disaster Operations. Walter G. Green III. Universal Publishers, 2001.
http://www.upublish.com/books/green3.htm
"[T]his volume provides a reference manual for emergency managers on the organizational structures, facilities, and procedures used to manage disaster response operations. The focus is on management of operations during the period immediately prior to disaster onset, the event impact, and the immediate post impact period. Topics covered include the Incident Command System, Command Posts, Emergency Operations Center facilities and organization, emergency plans and guidance documents, information management, interface procedures, communications, strategy and tactics, decision processes, risks and safety, media relations, documentation, stress management, and standards and ethics." The first 25 pages are free to download as PDF.

The Incident Command System for Public Health Disaster Responders. Walter G. Green III, Ph.D., CEM, Assistant Professor of Emergency Management, University of Richmond. 2002. [PDF]
http://www.richmond.edu/~wgreen/conf4.pdf
This paper was presented at the August 2002 Meeting oft Public Health Task Group, Richmond Metropolitan Medical Response System. It describes what an ICS is, puts it in context of a disaster and describes how it is operationalized in the field. Then Green relates it to the public health model. Table 2: A Logic Table for Where Public Health Fits describes the seven steps of the decision model for your emergency operations plan. Some resources are listed in the bibliography.

NIMS/ICS for Public Health Professionals. [no date].
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/index.shtm
NIMS, along with its major component, the Incident Command System (ICS), "will enable health care workers to work in a comprehensive framework when dealing with other agencies during disasters resulting from terrorism, natural or man made. The system will also assist the health care community when planning for, preventing, or mitigating a health care emergency such as influenza or other disease epidemics or outbreaks." This portal site provides a FAQ and links to important sites dealing with communications and preparedness.

Public Health Management of Disasters: The Practice Guide. Linda Young Landesman. 2d ed., Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 2004. $32.00 (Member)
https://secure.apha.org/source/orders/index.cfm?section=orders&task=3&CATEGORY=BK&PRODUCT_TYPE=SALES&SKU=0%2D87553%2D045%2D1&DESCRIPTION=&FindSpec=0%2D87553%2D045%2D1&CFTOKEN=41618774&continue=1&SEARCH_TYPE=FIND
The 2nd edition of this landmark book "consolidates important information on disaster-related resources into one source. It is designed to help the public health profession plan for tasks for which "on the job" is the chief teacher." New information has been added to this edition including expanded disaster communications including working with the media, communication systems, information technology recovery; surge capacity and surge capacity planning; worker safety; handling human remains and similar topics. This is a must read for those in disaster response efforts.

A Rural Jurisdiction Develops Cooperative Relationships with Local Health Departments. Stephanie Nelson, Health Officer, Gallatin City-County Health Department. [no date].
http://bt.naccho.org/e-newsletter-archive/August-The-Post-911-World-Cooperative-Relationships-Nelson.htm
Describes Gallatin City-County Health Department's (MT) experience in emergency preparedness planning. Gellatin City-County is like many small, rural jurisdictions with limited resources. The alliance of agencies that make up the public health/health care system has embraced the Unified Command model. It meets regularly to discuss relevant public health issues and to ensure coordinated planning, training, and exercises. For additional information contact Stephanie Nelson at (406) 582-3120 or via e-mail snelson@co.gallatin.mt.us.

Suggested Keywords

Incident command system
Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response
Unified Command model / structure


Mass Dispensing


ASHP Statement on the Role of Health-System Pharmacists in Emergency Preparedness, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASPH), June 2003. [PDF].
http://www.ashp.org/bestpractices/MedTherapy/Specific_St_EmergPrep.pdf
Describes ASHP's position on the role of health-system pharmacists in emergency preparedness, describes general principles, gives suitable advice to hospital and health-system pharmacy directors, administrators, pharmacists, and emergency-preparedness directors. Lastly, it describes ASHP's commitment to support health-system pharmacists in emergency preparedness

The Diane Rehm Show: Pharmaceutical Preparedness (Audio/Video, Webcasts). October 22, 2001.
http://wamu.org/programs/dr/01/10/22.php
Guests on the show include Drs. Anthony Fauci, Steve Bende, Shelley Hearne, and Senator Bill Frist. This panel "talks about what Congress, pharmaceutical companies and the health care infrastructure are doing to make sure there are enough antibiotics and other tools available to cope with the anthrax attacks." The Webcast is no longer available at the site, but you can listen to the audio portion online at http://wamu.org/audio/dr/01/10/r1011022-4896.ram.

Pharmaceutical Preparedness. Northwest Center for Public Health Practice. March 15, 2005.
http://www.nwcphp.org/technical-assistance/pharm-prep
List of useful training and related resources on the topic of pharmaceutical preparedness. Research papers and links to related resources also available.

Strategic National Stockpile. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 14, 2005.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/stockpile/index.asp
This site describes what the Strategic National Stockpile is and what it means to you. It also answers questions such as what you should know about the medicines in the Stockpile and how you will get your medicine if needed. Detailed information about the Stockpile as well as how state and local resources will be supplemented with drugs from the Stockpile. Travel information as well as information on training and education programs make useful reading.

Strategic National Stockpile. NACCHO. 2004.
http://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/sns.cfm
NACCHO has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect, develop, and disseminate resources that will help local public health agencies understand what to do with the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Use the STOCKbox tools to learn if your agency is prepared to receive the SNS, and examine The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS): A Reference for Local Planners http://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/SNS/projects.cfm. This publication is a "brief guide for local health officials and their partners to assist them as they begin to develop an SNS distribution and dispensing plan for their community."

Journal Articles

Andress K (2003). A postevent smallpox mass vaccination clinic exercise. Disaster Management & Response, Apr-Jun; 1(2):54-8. (PubMed)

Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 11(4):July/August 2005. (PubMed)
This issue focuses on preparedness and includes articles on rationing, public health capacity in Europe, local public health performance measurement, and even an exercise titled "A case exercise: outbreak investigation at a Vermont community hospital."

Teeter D, Terriff C. Implementing a bioterrorism response plan in your pharmacy. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash). 2002 Sep-Oct;42(5 Suppl 1):S52-3. (PubMed)
Pharmacies and other types of health care facilities need emergency response plans. Pharmacists need to stay current on biologic and other agents that can be used as agents of mass destruction and their clinical management. Local plans should incorporate federal resources that can be used in emergencies, but the time required for these resources to be organized, delivered, and distributed needs to be considered. Pharmacists are urged to assist with inventories of available health care facilities, supplies, and medications. Planning needs to be coordinated with local emergency preparedness officials. (abstract)

Suggested Keywords

pharmaceutical stockpiles
Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) program
pharmaceutical preparedness
pharmacy bioterrorism response plan


Preparedness on Universities


Emergency Management, University of Washington. September 11, 2005. http://www.washington.edu/admin/business/oem/index.php

Large and small universities and college campuses have created an emergency management department to provide emergency information to what usually amounts to a mid-sized town's worth of people. The University of Washington's site describes how to get emergency help, how to prepare for an emergency, what to do after an emergency, and provides a wide array of resources for additional reading. Of interest is the link to volunteer opportunities, Campus Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and guidance from other universities.

Many campuses have similar documents and it is worth exploring the emergency procedures linked through the "other universities" section of the navigation bar as well as the emergency management section of your own academic site.

Emergency Response Manual. Samford University. June 2003.
http://www.samford.edu/campussafety/erm_toc.html
Available in Microsoft Word, PDF, and HTML, this document functions as a contingency manual in order to plan for campus emergencies on the Samford University Campus. It covers the role and function of the emergency director, the emergency command post, the campus emergency resource team, and the responsibilities of other employees. It describes the emergency notification system, outlines how to report emergencies, and describes evacuation and emergency procedures. The document notes that it does not cover every conceivable situation.

Guidelines for Preparing the University for SARS. ACHA Vaccine-Preventable Disease Task Force, July 6, 2003. American College Health Association, 2003.
www.acha.org/Sars_Guidelines.pdf
Describes pre-event planning, planning for hosting arrivals on campus from SARS affected areas and planning for faculty, staff or students traveling to SARS affected countries. The document contains two appendices, one on SARS, and a second describing sample protocols.

Symposium 2005: Best Practices in Risk Reduction for Colleges and Universities. University of Washington, 2005.
http://www.washington.edu/admin/business/oem/symposium/
This symposium was billed as a two-day symposium/workshop for emergency professionals serving colleges and universities. Presentations, copies of handouts, and lessons learned have been made available for those interested in this topic. Presentations included such topics as: "Becoming a Disaster Resistant University," "Building Your Emergency Communications Technology Plan," and "Crisis Management for Academic Administrators." Other topics in the navigation bar include getting help, action steps, and resources. A page with Emergency Management Balanced Scorecard Goals and Report can be viewed online.

Suggested Keywords

campus emergency response teams
campus bioterrorism response
campus emergency plan
campus disaster plan/planning
campus disaster management
+university response bioterrorism
academics AND homeland security
universities AND homeland security
Incident Management


Interstate Highway Preparedness


Epidemiology of Transportation Systems and Bioterrorism, Workshop 2. School of Public Policy, George Mason University. [no date] [PDF].


http://policy.gmu.edu/oimp/reports/transystem_bioterrorism/etsb.pdf
This PDF documents a PowerPoint slide that describes a research proposal that examines the effect of using modern transportation systems to transmit communicable diseases in the event of a terrorist attack. The document examines transportation systems and their vulnerabilities and recommends policies and practices to prevent or respond to an attack on a transportation system. The methodology and deliverables for this project are described.

A Guide to Highway Vulnerability Assessment for Critical Asset Identification and Protection, May 2002. [PDF].
http://security.transportation.org/sites/security/docs/guide-VA_FinalReport.pdf
"This May 2002 contractor's report, prepared for the AASHTO Security Task Force with funding provided through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), is available on the AASHTO web site. Prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff--PB Farradyne, this report provides preliminary guidelines for planning for enhanced emergency response to terrorist incidents, especially those involving weapons of mass destruction. The guide builds upon existing emergency management practice." Of potential interest are the appendices that contain background information, worksheets, an acronym list, a bibliography, and illustrative practices.

A Guide to Updating Highway Emergency Response Plans for Terrorist Incidents, May 2002. [PDF].
http://security.transportation.org/sites/security/docs/guide-ResponsePlans.pdf
Describes potential terrorist attacks on the transportation infrastructure and existing state and DOT emergency responses. It offers guidance for updating state plans in response to the expanded terrorist threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Contains five appendices that include case studies, the research methodology, and a bibliography.

Multimodal Transportation and Bioterrorism Defense, March 1, 2005.
http://nsfsecurity.pr.erau.edu/MMBT/
This Web site "provides an interactive model for understanding intermodal transportation networks and determining patterns for travelers subjected to a bioterrorism release. Using these tools, people will acquire knowledge relating to a variety of modes of transportation and understand some of the differing characteristics of the vehicles that serve these important terminals, stations, and depots." Learning is facilitated through Java applets that allow the learner to set pathogen, the day and time of release, the transporter, and the mode of transportation and see the results interactively.

National Needs Assessment for Ensuring Transportation Infrastructure Security, February 2003. [PDF]
http://security.transportation.org/sites/security/docs/NatlNeedsAssess.pdf
This study was prepared by Douglas B. Ham, and Stephen Lockwood, of Parsons Brinckerhoff, and was conducted under the auspices of the Transportation Security Task Force of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). It "examines three key security planning program areas: Protecting critical mobility assets, Enhancing traffic management capabilities, and Improving state DOT (Department of Transportation) emergency response capabilities." The report "targets federal, state, regional, and metropolitan transportation planners and policy makers.”

Protecting America's Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels: The Role of State DOTs in Homeland Security. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, January 2005. [PDF]
http://security.transportation.org/sites/security/docs/Protecting_Americas_Roads.pdf
This brochure "gives an overview of why the security of our roads, bridges, and tunnels is important, what DOTs are doing to improve it, and the keys to better partnership."

The Public Transportation System Security and Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide. U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration Final Report John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, January 2003.
http://www.terrorism.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Documents&file=get&download=148
The Public Transportation System Security and Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide has been prepared to "support the activities of public transportation systems to plan for and respond to major security threats and emergencies. It emphasizes the importance of developing critical relationships, preparing strategies and policies, and setting training and funding priorities. It offers practical guidance for planning effectively, spending wisely, and making the public transportation infrastructure safer. This Guide builds on a previous Federal Transit Administration (FTA) publication, the Transit System Security Program Planning Guide." The site contains a number of other documents of interest related to transportation system security.

Responding to Threats: A Field Personnel Manual. December 6, 2004.
http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=4425
TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 525: Surface Transportation Security, Volume 1: Responding to Threats: A Field Personnel Manual "includes a draft template that contains basic security awareness training in a workbook format that can be redesigned as a pamphlet, glove-box brochure, or other user-specific document. This NCHRP manual emphasizes noticing and reporting behavior that may be part of the planning stages of an event, and explains how an increased level of attention on the part of all employees can deter criminal and terrorist plans prior to implementation." The report may be purchased or read online in PDF.

Surface Transportation Infrastructure Security Center. SAIC. [no date].
http://www.saic.com/
SAIC "provides comprehensive support for surface transportation infrastructure security to a variety of clients, including the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), various State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and a variety of transportation associations including the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). This support ranges from best practice/state of the art research and the development of related guidance, to facilitating workshops, tabletop exercises and panel meetings on security related topics, to operational analyses of ports and borders, to actual testing and evaluation of security enhancing devices." SAIC does infrastructure vulnerability assessments, intrusion detection and surveillance, operations planning and its continuity, exercise planning, training, and evaluation as well as border security.

Terrorism Research Center. 2005.
http://www.terrorism.com/
Founded in 1996, the Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC) is an "independent institute dedicated to the research of terrorism, information warfare and security, critical infrastructure protection and other issues of low-intensity political violence and gray-area phenomena. — The TRC provides core expertise in terrorism, counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, information warfare and security (including design review, technical assessments, policy development and review, and training), vulnerability and threat assessment (red teaming), systems engineering, encryption, intelligence analysis, and national security and defense policy."

Transportation Research Board. Transportation System Security. 2004.
http://www.trb.org/
The National Academy of Science Transportation Research Board has prepared an extensive list of links to online documents dealing with most aspects of transportation security including surface transportation. Topics range from protocols for managing transit vehicles, highway emergency response plans for terrorist incidents, highway vulnerability assessment for critical asset identification and protection and emergency preparedness. Other transportation modes are also included on this page.

Suggested Keywords

bioterrorism preparedness AND (highways OR transportation)
transportation infrastructure
transportation security
surface transportation security


Improving Infection Control in Veterinary Clinics



Biological Terrorism Against Animals and Humans: A Brief Review and Primer for Action. Noah DL and Crowder HR. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2002 Jul 1;221(1):40-3.
http://www.avma.org/reference/zoonosis/znterrorism.asp
While most bioterrorism is likely to be focused on humans, it is important not to forget the agricultural sector. This article examines veterinarians' role in identifying animal outbreaks of potential harm to humans and in preventing such epidemics through interacting with human health care providers. The role of veterinarians in surveillance and in preventing and eradicating animal diseases is also stressed. A short bibliography lists additional resources on this topic. (PubMed)

Biosecurity Standard Operating Procedures. Colorado State Veterinary Teaching Hospital. August 1, 2000.
http://csuvets.colostate.edu/biosecurity/biosecurity_sop.pdf
The purpose of this document is "to summarize the basic control measures to be used in the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital."

Biosecurity updates from the AVMA. 2005.
http://www.avma.org/public_health/biosecurity/default.asp
This American Veterinary Medical Association page lists news items related to biosecurity. Recent news includes these items: USDA outreach program targets noncommercial-bird-owning public (15 Jun 2004), The growing importance of aquatic animal diseases (15 Jun 2004), and Growing demands raise doubts about APHIS's emergency response capability (1 Apr 2004).

Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 25, 2005 / Vol. 54 / No. RR-4.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5404a1.htm
Developed by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV), this report provides standardized recommendations for public health officials, veterinarians, animal venue operators, animal exhibitors, visitors to animal venues and exhibits, and others concerned with disease-control and with minimizing risks associated with animals in public settings. The recommendation to wash hands is the single most important prevention step for reducing the risk for disease transmission.

Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), 2003. [PDF]
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/guidelines/Enviro_guide_03.pdf
"Infection-control strategies and engineering controls, when consistently implemented, are effective in preventing opportunistic, environmentally-related infections in immunocompromised populations. Adherence to proper use of disinfectants, proper maintenance of medical equipment that uses water (e.g., automated endoscope reprocessors and hydrotherapy equipment), water-quality standards for hemodialysis, and proper ventilation standards for specialized care environments (i.e., airborne infection isolation [AII], protective environment [PE], and operating rooms [ORs]), and prompt management of water intrusion into facility structural elements will minimize health-care-associated infection risks and reduce the frequency of pseudo-outbreaks." Extensive recommendations can be found in the appendices.

Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care. Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Prepared by John M. Boyce and Didier Pittet. MMWR, Vol 51, No RR16;1: October 25, 2002, 1-44.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5116a1.htm
The Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings provides health-care workers (HCWs) with a review of data regarding handwashing and hand antisepsis in health-care settings. In addition, it provides specific recommendations to promote improved hand-hygiene practices and reduce transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to patients and personnel in health-care settings.

Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings — 2003. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR, 52(RR17);1-61, December 19, 2003.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5217a1.htm
This report "consolidates previous recommendations and adds new ones for infection control in dental settings. Recommendations are provided regarding 1) educating and protecting dental health-care personnel; 2) preventing transmission of bloodborne pathogens; 3) hand hygiene; 4) personal protective equipment; 5) contact dermatitis and latex hypersensitivity; 6) sterilization and disinfection of patient-care items; 7) environmental infection control; 8) dental unit waterlines, biofilm, and water quality; and 9) special considerations (e.g., dental handpieces and other devices, radiology, parenteral medications, oral surgical procedures, and dental laboratories). These recommendations were developed in collaboration with and after review by authorities on infection control from CDC and other public agencies, academia, and private and professional organizations."

Hand Hygiene Guidelines Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. October 25, 2002.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/fs021025.htm
In addition to providing recommendations to improve adherence to hand hygiene in health care settings, CDC recommends the use of alcohol-based handrubs by health care personnel for patient care. Other recommendations will help terminate outbreaks in health care facilities and reduce transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms.

Monkeypox Infections In Animals: Updated Interim Guidance for Veterinarians. American Medical Association, July 22, 2003.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13750.html
During the Monkeypox outbreak in 2003, the Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines for veterinarians and other pet handlers. This document describes the problem of transmission from prairie dogs to humans and recommends nine infection control precautions that animal handlers and veterinarians should take including handwashing, use of gown and gloves, and eye and respiratory protection among others. The document is also available in PDF.

National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. August 24, 2005.
http://www.cdc.gov/narms/
NARMS is a collaboration among Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Center for Veterinary Medicine) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (Food Safety and Inspection Service and Agricultural Research Services). Data is collected from participating health departments that forward every twentieth non-Typhi Salmonella isolate, every Salmonella Typhi, every twentieth Shigella isolate, and every twentieth E. coli O157 isolate received at their public health laboratories to CDC for susceptibility testing. Since the data has been collected since 1996, trend data is available and can be analyzed for patterns of emerging resistance.

The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV). [no date].
http://www.nasphv.org
The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) helps direct and develop uniform public health procedures involving zoonotic disease in the United States and its territories. It is a member organization. On its site are publications and membership information, and links to related sites.

Safety Handbook for Veterinary Hospital Staff. McKelvey D. American Animal Hospital Association Press, 1999.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1583260072/qid%3D1125443173/102-6620295-1880111
Animal bites are the most common occupational hazard among veterinarians according to Diane McKelvey, who bases this observation on an article that appeared in a 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Cat bites, especially, can be very infectious, although dogs do most of the biting. McKelvey makes recommendations about preventing the major types of injuries received by veterinarians.

Veterinary Practice Consultants. [no date].
http://www.v-p-c.com/
VPC provides consulting and safety information for veterinarians. Some publications on hazardous materials and safety information are available for ordering.

Healthy Pets Healthy People. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Infectious Diseases, February 14, 2003.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets
Describes how to enjoy your pets but keep them and you safe from diseases that are carried by wild and domesticated animals. Browse by animal, browse by disease, and learn how to live with pets when you are at extra health risk. Information for health professionals and additional resources, including articles, selected local organizations, information hotlines, brochures, posters, and links to other Web sites.

Journal Articles

Ewart SL, Schott HC, Robison RL, et al. Identification of sources of Salmonella organisms in a veterinary teaching hospital and evaluation of the effects of disinfectants on detection of Salmonella organisms on surface materials. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:1145-1151. (PubMed)

Girou E, Loyeau S, Legrand P, Oppein F, Brun-Buisson C. Efficacy of handrubbing with alcohol based solution versus standard handwashing with antiseptic soap: randomised clinical trial. BMJ 2002;325:362. (PubMed)

Hancock DD, Besser TE, Rice DH, et al. Multiple sources of Escherichia coli O157 in dairy farms in the northwestern USA. Prev Vet Med 1998;35:1119. (PubMed)

Cohen HW, Gould RM, Sidel VW. The Pitfalls of bioterrorism preparedness: the anthrax and smallpox experiences. Am J Public Health 2004 94: 1667-1671. (PubMed)

Comment in: Pittet D. Compliance with hand disinfection and its impact on hospital-acquired infections. J Hosp Infect 2001;48(suppl A):S40-S46. (PubMed)

Taylor LH, Lathaam SM, Woolhouse, ME. Risk factors for human disease emergence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2001;356:983-9. (PubMed)

Suggested Keywords

infection control practices
personal protective equipment/measures
reduce transmission of zoonotic diseases
zoonotic diseases


Rural Emergency Epidemiology

Epi-X The Epidemic Information Exchange. [no date].
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/epix/epix.html
The Epidemic Information Exchange (Epi-X) "is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's secure, web-based communications network that serves as a powerful communications exchange between CDC, state and local health departments, poison control centers, and other public health professionals. The system provides rapid reporting, immediate notification, editorial support, and coordination of health investigations for public health professionals." Epi-X supports postings and discussions about disease outbreaks and other health events that potentially involve multiple jurisdictions.

Epi-Emergency Response Team: Development and Implementation of an Action Plan. Sockett P, National Microbiology Laboratory, Canada and Center for Infectious Disease Prevention & Control, December 2, 2003. [PDF of PPT]
http://www.nml.ca/english/SARS_Symp_pres/02-11b.ppt.pdf
Describes the organizational structure of Epi-ERT and its functions in responding to a SARS outbreak.

Information Technologies for Civilian Bioterrorism Response. Oh PY, Zhang R, Mode C, and Jurgens S. [no date] [PDF]
http://prism2.mem.drexel.edu/~paul/papers/ohSci2004.pdf
"Developing effective responses hinges on information technologies namely detection, isolation, communications and education. This paper describes our efforts in integrating these technologies at the National Bioterrorism Civilian Medical Response Center (CiMeRC) at Drexel University. Our particular focus involves scenarios where biochemical agents are released in the public transportation system of a major metropolitan city." A large part of this paper is given over to epidemiogical dynamics and biosurveillance through the use of Epi-Engine, a stochastic model used to model the public transportation system in the Philadelphia metropolitan region.

Model Emergency Response Communications Plan for Infectious Disease Outbreaks and Bioterrorist Events. ASTD HPPHE, May, 2000.
http://www.astdhpphe.org/bioterr/bioterror.pdf
The "Plan is intended for a diverse group of state and local public health and emergency response officials; in short, all those whose efforts must be coordinated on short notice, and conceivably under intense pressure, to contain a deliberately planned or naturally occurring infectious disease outbreak. It provides a framework for communications among public health officials, between health officials and other emergency response players, and directly to the public and the media." Operational guidelines include the line of command, the incident command system, an outbreak scenario with multiple- agency involvement, and response activities.

Public Health Emergency Response Guide for State, Local and Tribal Public Health Directors. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 12, 2005.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/planning/responseguide.asp
The Guide is "an all-hazards reference tool for health professionals who are responsible for initiating the public health response during the first 24 hours (i.e., the acute phase) of an emergency or disaster. It provides useful information on the activation and integration of a jurisdiction's public health system into the existing overall emergency response structure during the acute phase of an incident. It also contains guidance that may be unique to specific types of incidents, such as floods, earthquakes, and acts of terrorism." Download the entire 4" x 7.75" Response Guide [PDF] or the 8.5" x 11" templates available in the back of the guide.

Rural Communities and Emergency Preparedness. U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); sponsoring organization: Office of Rural Health Policy. April 2002. [PDF]
ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/RuralPreparedness.pdf or
http://www.mipt.org/pdf/ruralemergencypreparedness.pdf
This document "discusses rural consideration in emergency preparedness. It covers the involvement of State Offices of Rural Health in bioterrorism preparedness, and discusses rural public health and EMS preparedness issues."

Rural Public Health Preparedness: Setting the Agenda for Change. Michael Melt, Director, University of Pittsburgh Center for Rural Health Practice. 2005. [PDF of PPT slides]
http://www.academyhealth.org/2005/pdf/meit.pdf
This set of PowerPoint slides from the 2005 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting examines problems of preparedness in rural areas and makes recommendations for building public health capacity. The emphasis is on the research end of the topic.

Training and Education. Emergency Preparedness & Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 26, 2005.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/training/
Most aspects of training related to emergency preparedness and response are covered at this site. The content ranges from introductory training content, surviving field stress, plague and other infectious disease response recommendations among others. Content is in a variety of formats with much of the valuable content in the form of Web casts, online videos as well as HTML. Also available are online learning modules.

Suggested Keywords

Rural bioterrorism readiness
bioterrorism response teams
epidemiology response teams
regional rural epidemiology response teams
regional bioterrorism response teams

Public Health Regional Surveillance Teams
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