[General procedures in response to suspected attacks with highly contagious and pathogenic agents]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Biosecurity
• Emergency Preparedness

Background:

• Discovery of suspicious powders in letters often triggers concerns about biological attacks, specifically anthrax.
• Past events, like the 2001 US anthrax attacks, influence current responses, despite being over a decade old.
• Germany has not experienced terrorist attacks involving dangerous biological agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide recommendations for managing suspected intentional releases of biological agents via powder letters.
• To address the current Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) threat assessment for Germany.
• To guide decision-makers in systematically evaluating and responding to suspicious powder incidents.

Main Methods:

• Review of current CBRNE threat assessments for Germany.
• Analysis of the limitations of single-substance or single-agent exclusion analyses.
• Development of a sequential procedure involving consultation, exclusion, and comprehensive analyses.

Main Results:

• Excluding only specific agents like anthrax is insufficient for effective incident management.
• A systematic, multi-faceted approach is crucial for assessing and mitigating diverse threats.
• Current threat levels do not indicate a high probability of anthrax being used in Germany.

Conclusions:

• Recommendations are provided for a structured response to powder letters, emphasizing a broad threat assessment.
• The study advocates for a comprehensive strategy over narrow, single-agent exclusion.
• Effective management requires considering all relevant biological, chemical, and radiological threats.