Volume 9, Number 5—May 2003
Perspective
Planning against Biological Terrorism: Lessons from Outbreak Investigations
David A. Ashford*
, Robyn M. Kaiser*, Michael E. Bales*, Kathleen Shutt*, Amee Patrawalla*, Andre McShan*, Jordan W. Tappero*, Bradley A. Perkins*, and Andrew L. Dannenberg*
, Robyn M. Kaiser*, Michael E. Bales*, Kathleen Shutt*, Amee Patrawalla*, Andre McShan*, Jordan W. Tappero*, Bradley A. Perkins*, and Andrew L. Dannenberg*
Table 4
Number of days from beginning to notification for outbreaks in which bioterrorism or intentional contamination was considered
| Report no. | Investigation | Beginning of outbreak | No. of days from first case to problem identification | No. of days from problem identification to initial CDC contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84-93 |
Large salmonellosis outbreak caused by intentional contamination of restaurant salad bars, Oregon |
9/15/84 |
6 |
4 |
| 97-008 |
Shigellosis outbreak in hospital laboratory workers, Texas |
10/29/96 |
1 |
1 |
| 98-006 |
Shigella sonnei outbreak in laboratory workers, New Hampshire |
9/20/97 |
17 |
3 |
| 99-25 |
Anthrax hoaxes |
10/30/98 |
0 |
0 |
| 99-59 |
Unexplained critical illness, New Hampshire |
3/24/99 |
26 |
1 |
| 99-094 | Encephalitis cluster with paralysis of unknown etiology, New York (West Nile virus) | 8/9/99 | 14 | 6 |
aCDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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