Chemical and Biological Weapons
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What to do to prepare for a chemical or biological attack What to do during a chemical or biological attack | What to do after a chemical attack
What to do after a biological attack
In case of a chemical or biological weapon attack near you, authorities
will instruct you on the best course of action. This may be to evacuate
the area immediately, to seek shelter at a designated location, or to take
immediate shelter where you are and seal the premises. The best way to protect
yourself is to take emergency preparedness measures ahead of time and to
get medical attention as soon as possible, if needed.
Chemical
Chemical warfare agents are poisonous vapors, aerosols, liquids or solids
that have toxic effects on people, animals or plants. They can be released
by bombs, sprayed from aircraft, boats, or vehicles, or used as a liquid
to create a hazard to people and the environment. Some chemical agents may
be odorless and tasteless. They can have an immediate effect (a few seconds
to a few minutes) or a delayed effect (several hours to several days). While
potentially lethal, chemical agents are difficult to deliver in lethal concentrations.
Outdoors, the agents often dissipate rapidly. Chemical agents are also difficult
to produce.
There are six types of agents:
- Lung-damaging (pulmonary) agents such as phosgene,
- Cyanide,
- Vesicants or blister agents such as mustard,
- Nerve agents such as GA (tabun), GB (sarin), GD (soman), GF, and
VX,
- Incapacitating agents such as BZ, and
- Riot-control agents (similar to MACE).
Biological
Biological agents are organisms or toxins that can kill or incapacitate
people, livestock and crops. The three basic groups of biological agents
which would likely be used as weapons are bacteria, viruses, and toxins.
-
Bacteria. Bacteria are small free-living organisms that reproduce
by simple division and are easy to grow. The diseases they produce often
respond to treatment with antibiotics.
- Viruses. Viruses are organisms which require living cells in
which to reproduce and are intimately dependent upon the body they infect.
Viruses produce diseases which generally do not respond to antibiotics.
However, antiviral drugs are sometimes effective.
- Toxins. Toxins are poisonous substances found in, and
extracted from, living plants, animals, or microorganisms; some toxins
can be produced or altered by chemical means. Some toxins can be treated
with specific antitoxins and selected drugs.
Most biological agents are difficult to grow and maintain. Many break down
quickly when exposed to sunlight and other environmental factors, while
others such as anthrax spores are very long lived. They can be dispersed
by spraying them in the air, or infecting animals which carry the disease
to humans as well through food and water contamination.
- Aerosols Biological agents are dispersed into the air, forming a
fine mist that may drift for miles. Inhaling the agent may cause disease
in people or animals.
- Animals Some diseases are spread by insects and animals, such as
fleas, mice, flies, and mosquitoes. Deliberately spreading diseases
through livestock is also referred to as agroterrorism.
- Food and water contamination Some pathogenic organisms and toxins
may persist in food and water supplies. Most microbes can be killed,
and toxins deactivated, by cooking food and boiling water.
Anthrax spores formulated as a white powder were mailed to individuals in
the government and media in the fall of 2001. Postal sorting machines and
the opening of letters dispersed the spores as aerosols. Several deaths
resulted. The effect was to disrupt mail service and to cause a widespread
fear of handling delivered mail among the public. Person-to-person spread
of a few infectious agents is also possible. Humans have been the source
of infection for smallpox, plague, and the Lassa viruses.
What to do to prepare
for a chemical or biological attack
Assemble a disaster supply kit (see the "Emergency Planning and Disaster Supplies" chapter
for more information) and be sure to include:
- Battery-powered commercial radio with extra batteries.
- Non-perishable food and drinking water.
- Roll of duct tape and scissors.
- Plastic for doors, windows and vents for the room in which you will
shelter in place this should be an internal room where you can block
out air that may contain hazardous chemical or biological agents. To
save critical time during an emergency, sheeting should be pre-measured
and cut for each opening.
- First aid kit.
- Sanitation supplies including soap, water and bleach.
What to do during
a chemical or biological attack
- Listen to your radio for instructions from authorities such as whether
to remain inside or to evacuate.
- If you are instructed to remain in your home, the building where you
are, or other shelter during a chemical or biological attack:
- Turn off all ventilation, including furnaces, air conditioners, vents
and fans.
- Seek shelter in an internal room, preferably one without windows.
Seal the room with duct tape and plastic sheeting. Ten square feet of
floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon
dioxide build-up for up to five hours. (See "Shelter"
chapter.)
- Remain in protected areas where toxic vapors are reduced or eliminated,
and be sure to take your battery-operated radio with you.
- If you are caught in an unprotected area, you should:
- Attempt to get up-wind of the contaminated area.
- Attempt to find shelter as quickly as possible.
- Listen to your radio for official instructions.
What to do after a
chemical attack
Immediate symptoms of exposure to chemical agents may include blurred vision,
eye irritation, difficulty breathing and nausea. A person affected by a
chemical or biological agent requires immediate attention by professional
medical personnel. If medical help is not immediately available, decontaminate
yourself and assist in decontaminating others. Decontamination is needed
within minutes of exposure to minimize health consequences. (However, you
should not leave the safety of a shelter to go outdoors to help others until
authorities announce it is safe to do so.)
-
1. Use extreme caution when helping others who have been exposed to chemical
agents:
- Remove all clothing and other items in contact with the body. Contaminated
clothing normally removed over the head should be cut off to avoid
contact with the eyes, nose, and mouth. Put into a plastic bag if
possible. Decontaminate hands using soap and water. Remove eyeglasses
or contact lenses. Put glasses in a pan of household bleach to decontaminate.
- Remove all items in contact with the body.
- Flush eyes with lots of water.
- Gently wash face and hair with soap and water; then thoroughly rinse
with water.
- Decontaminate other body areas likely to have been contaminated. Blot
(do not swab or scrape) with a cloth soaked in soapy water and rinse with
clear water.
- Change into uncontaminated clothes. Clothing stored in drawers or closets
is likely to be uncontaminated.
- If possible, proceed to a medical facility for screening.
What to do after
a biological attack
In many biological attacks, people will not know they have been exposed
to an agent. In such situations, the first evidence of an attack may be
when you notice symptoms of the disease caused by an agent exposure, and
you should seek immediate medical attention for treatment.
In some situations, like the anthrax letters sent in 2001, people may be
alerted to a potential exposure. If this is the case, pay close attention
to all official warnings and instructions on how to proceed. The delivery
of medical services for a biological event may be handled differently to
respond to increased demand. Again, it will be important for you to pay
attention to official instructions via radio, television, and emergency
alert systems.
If your skin or clothing comes in contact with a visible, potentially infectious
substance, you should remove and bag your clothes and personal items and
wash yourself with warm soapy water immediately. Put on clean clothes and
seek medical assistance.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention at www.bt.cdc.gov.
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