THREAT-PREPAREDNESS
&
BIOTERRORISM RESPONSE
LABORATORY

The West Virginia Threat-Preparedness and Bioterrorism Response Laboratory was established as part of a national bioterrorism preparedness and response network of public health and clinical laboratories for the purpose of disease surveillance and emergency response to possible acts of bioterrorism. The CDC, as the nation's public health agency, has developed a laboratory response plan designed to provide rapid and specific diagnosis of illnesses caused by likely agents of bioterrorism. This response network is a tiered system, based upon an assessment of laboratory analytical capabilities, capacity to respond, and Biosafety levels. The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) consists of three levels of laboratories, designated Sentinel, Reference, and National Levels. Sentinel Level Laboratories are primarily non-public health clinical laboratories that serve hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare institutions. Their primary function is to raise suspicion following the application of commonly performed tests with the objective being to "rule-out" suspect bioterrorism agents. Reference Level Laboratories have access to protocols and reagents for identifying threat agents in environmental specimens and confirmation of identification for clinical samples. The West Virginia Office of Laboratory Services is considered to be the Reference Level Laboratory for Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Brucella spp., and other agents of Bioterrorism for the state.

GENERAL PUBLIC INFORMATION

The West Virginia Threat-Preparedness and Bioterrorism Response Laboratory DOES NOT accept specimens from the general public.  If you have a suspicious letter/package, please contact your nearest State/Local Law Enforcement Agency or your Local Health Department.

• WV Bureau for Public Health - Bioterrorism Preparedness
• WVOES Getting Ready:  A Family Emergency Guide

REQUIRED FORMS

• Clinical Specimen Submission Form for Suspected Bioterrorism Agents
• Environmental Specimen Submission Form

CLINICAL SPECIMEN SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR SENTINEL LABORATORIES

• Clinical Specimen Submission Guidelines
• Contact Information for Sentinel Laboratories
• Clinical Specimen Selection for Agents of Bioterrorism

CLINICAL SPECIMEN SHIPPING INFORMATION

• Packing and Shipping Diagram 
• 2005 Shipping Regulations Revisions
• Shipping Category A Agents Table
• Comparison of PI 650 and PI 602
• FedEx Dangerous Goods Service Information
• Shippers Declaration For Dangerous Goods - Bioterrorism Response

CLINICAL SPECIMEN SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS/CORONERS

• Clinical Specimen Submission Guidelines for County Medical Examiners
• Medical Examiners, Coroners, and Biologic Terrorism:  A guidebook for Surveillance and Case Management (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly, June 11, 2004 / Vol. 53 / No. RR-8)

ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIMEN SUBMISSION GUIDELINES  FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HAZMAT TEAMS ONLY

• Environmental Specimen Submission Guidelines
• Environmental Specimen Triage Guidelines
• Procedures for Collection of Environmental Specimens
• Procedures for Collection of Environmental Swab Samples
• Environmental Sampling Kits
• Hazard Categorization Screen For Environmental Specimens

SENTINEL LABORATORY INFORMATION

• CDC Category List for Biological Diseases
• Select Agent List 
• Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 4th edition, U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources
• Sentinel Level Testing Protocols and Guidelines via the American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Surge Capacity for Response to Bioterrorism in Hospital Clinical Microbiology Laboratories,JCM, December 2003, p. 5372-5376, Vol. 41, No. 12
• Laboratory Safety Practices Associated with Potential Agents of Biocrime or Bioterrorism, JCM, July 2003, p. 2801-2809, Vol. 41, No. 7
• Association of Public Health Laboratories Emergency Preparedness (Emergency Preparedness for Public Health Laboratories)

FIRST RESPONDER INFORMATION

• Comprehensive Procedures for Collecting Environmental Samples for Culturing Bacillus anthracis
• WV Regional Response Team
• OSHA Emergency Preparedness and Response- Responders
• Personal Protective Equipment for First Responders
  Comprehensive Procedures for Collecting Environmental Samplesfor Culturing Bacillus anthracis, CDC, April 2002
  Swank Healthcare Homeland Security Courses for First Responders
• WMD First Responders - The WMDFR website is a "library of information" for use by first responders and other emergency responders
• The National Academies Responding to Bioterrorism - Expert selected Web resources for "First Responders" on bioterrorism and public safety, with a search engine of more than 3,000 related Web pages
• WMD National Guard Civil Support Teams

FOOD BIOTERRORISM INFORMATION

West Virginia Office of Environmental Health Services
http://www.wvdhhr.org/oehs/

National Center for Environmental Health The National Center for Environmental Health's Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch (EPRB) coordinates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) emergency preparedness and response activities. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/emergency/default.htm

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety and Terrorism Report suspect product tampering or any food contamination of an FDA regulated product: FDA 24 hour emergency phone number: 301-443-1240
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fsterr.html

RADIATION AND CHEMICAL DISASTER INFORMATION

WVOEHS Radiation, Toxics and Indoor Air Division
http://www.wvdhhr.org/rtia/

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Radiological Emergency Response Plan
http://www.fda.gov/oc/ocm/radplan.html

West Virginia Office of Environmental Health Services
http://www.wvdhhr.org/oehs/

National Center for Environmental Health
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/emergency/default.htm

WVOLS Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
Chemical Terrorism Response Section
Main Office Number: 304-965-2694

PRESENTATIONS AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Clinical and Environmental Specimen Submission Guidelines
Jennifer Ross-Wilkinson, MBS, WV Office of Laboratory Services

Suspect Bioterrorism and/or Chemical Terrorism Sample Submission
Rosemarie Gearhart, MS, Ohio Department of Health Laboratory

Investigation of an Anthrax Incident
State of Ohio Security Task Force

Environmental Sample Collection Guide
Ohio Department of Health Laboratories

Identifying the Unknown: Wet Laboratory
Melissa Bossie, MS, MT, WV Office of Laboratory Services

Understanding Chemical Terrorism
Terry Wass, CIH, CSP, WV Office of Laboratory Services

West Virginia Office of Emergency Services

West Virginia Infectious Disease Epidemiology (Public Health) 

West Virginia Local Health Departments 

West Virginia State Police Detachments 

West Virginia County and Local Police Departments - Search Officer.com

West Virginia County and Local Police Departments - 911 site.com

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

CDC Emergency Preparedness & Response
http://www.bt.cdc.gov

Canada Infectious Disease MSDS
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pphb-dgspsp/msds-ftss/index.html

NOVA Bioterror Online
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/

CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/eid/index.htm

Center for Civilian BioDefense Studies, Johns Hopkins University
http://www.jhsph.edu

Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)
http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org

American Biological Safety Association
http://www.absa.org/

CDC National Laboratory Training Network
http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/nltn/default.asp

CONTACT INFORMATION

Threat-Preparedness & Bioterrorism Response Section
Ph. 304-558-3530 x2301
Fx. 304-558-0895

Ed Dos Santos
BT Response Coordinator
Microbiologist III
eddossantos@wvdhhr.org

Dr. Andrea Labik, Sc. D.
Director of WV Office of Laboratory Services
andrealabik@wvdhhr.org 
304-558-3530 x2110