The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Session: Public Health Laboratory Preparedness for Terrorism
3182.1: Monday, November 11, 2002: 12:30 PM-2:00 PM
Oral
Public Health Laboratory Preparedness for Terrorism
Early warning and identification of bioterrorism by the Laboratory Response Network. Michael Ascher, Richard Myers, Dayton Miller, James Pearson and Robert Martin. Technology and policy development are evolving rapidly in the high priority and high profile efforts to strengthen the U.S. public health laboratory infrastructure in order to improve the abilities and capabilities of the public health and clinical microbiology laboratory network in the United States to respond to infectious disease outbreaks including deliberate terrorists acts as well as other public health emergencies. This session provides an update on the core concepts of this national plan implemented through state and local public health laboratory networks and a report on the progress in technological and infrastructure improvements, as well as a broad view of the DHHS policies for preparedness and response to bioterrorism. Presentations include the strategic plans for identification of highest risks, ongoing development and integration of critical laboratory services to respond to these risks and new and future technology development and its application to rapid and accurate identification of biologic agents. In addition, the Laboratory Response Network will be described from a users perspective of what it is, how it can be accessed by the public and private sector and how it will provide timely information to government agencies and the public to effectively treat illness, reduce the incidence of disease and guide risk analysis.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to: 1) Knowledge of and ability to use the national Laboratory Response Network for testing clinical and environmental samples for bioterror biological and chemical agents. 2) Understand the national strategic plan for developing public health laboratory capacity, and integrating the resources with public safety to assure timely and accurate investigation of terrorist threats and events that involve biologic and chemical agents.
Organized by:Laboratory Section
CE Credits:CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA