Preliminary Identification of the Primary Select Agents of Bioterrorism (Online CE Course)

Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours (acceptable for AMT, ASCP, and state recertification): 1.5 hour(s) Approved through 9/30/2024

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel Credit Hours - General (Microbiology/Mycology/Parasitology): 1.5 hour(s) Approved through 9/30/2024

Objectives

• Define the purpose of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN).
• Explain the role of a sentinel laboratory within the LRN and location of the appropriate laboratory protocols.
• Describe why certain agents are more likely to be used in a bioterrorist attack to create a public health emergency.
• Identify the clinical specimens and indigenous areas where a laboratory may be more likely to encounter an agent of bioterrorism.
• Recognize the presumptive identification procedures for the primary agents of bioterrorism, including safe handling, prior to referring to a higher level laboratory.

Customer Ratings

(based on 330 customer ratings)

Course Outline

• Development and Purpose of the Laboratory Response Network
• Select Agents of Bioterrorism
• Development of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN)
• Purpose of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN)
• Which of the following is NOT a function of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN)?
• Definition and Role of a Sentinel Laboratory
• Definition of a Sentinel Clinical Laboratory
• Role of a Sentinel Laboratory
• Responsibilities of a Sentinel Clinical Laboratory within the Laboratory Response Network (LRN)
• Any laboratory that analyzes microbes or refers specimens that have the potential to contain microbial agents or toxins is a sentinel laboratory.
• Role of Reference and National Laboratories Within the Laboratory Response Network (LRN)
• What is the role of a sentinel clinical laboratory within the Laboratory Response Network (LRN)?
• Sentinel Clinical Laboratory Protocols
• Protocols
• Additional Resources
• Where can sentinel clinical laboratory staff find the standardized testing protocols?
• Public Health Threats Related to the Agents of Bioterrorism
• Why Certain Agents are Used as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
• Bacteria, viruses, or toxins that are chosen as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by bioterrorists are:Easy to acquire and spread Hard to detect and d...
• Categories of Biological Agents
• Category A Agents
• Category A Agents: Reasons Why They May be Used to Create Public Health Emergencies
• Category B Agents
• Category B Agents: Reasons Why They May be Used to Create Public Health Emergencies:
• Category C Agents
• Which of the agent categories is the easiest to spread, has the ability to cause major harm, panic, and death, and carries the highest level of risk w...
• Tier 1 Biological Agents
• Tier 1 biological agents are a subset of select agents and toxins that present the GREATEST risk of deliberate misuse with SIGNIFICANT potential for m...
• Sentinel Laboratory Safety
• Sentinel Laboratory Safety Protocols
• Agent Biosafety Level (BSL) Requirements and Laboratory Exposure Risk
• Automated Systems and Exposure Risk
• A class II, or higher, biological safety cabinet (BSC) must be used when manipulating potential bioterrorism agents or if aerosols are likely.
• The Primary Agents of Bioterrorism
• The Primary Agents of Bioterrorism
• Bacillus anthracis
• Bacillus anthracis: Likely Clinical Specimens and Gram Stain Morphology
• Bacillus anthracis: Culture Characteristics, Colony Morphology, and Hallmark Features
• Bacillus anthracis: Other Diagnostic Tests to Aid in Preliminary Identification
• Yersinia pestis
• Yersinia pestis: Likely Clinical Specimens and Gram Stain Morphology
• Yersinia pestis: Culture Characteristics, Colony Morphology, and Hallmark Features
• Yersinia pestis: Other Diagnostic Tests to Aid in Preliminary Identification
• Francisella tularensis
• Francisella tularensis: Likely Clinical Specimens and Gram Stain Morphology
• Francisella tularensis: Culture Characteristics, Colony Morphology, and Hallmark Features
• Francisella tularensis: Other Diagnostic Tests to Aid in Preliminary Identification
• Brucella species
• Brucella species: Likely Clinical Specimens and Gram Stain Morphology
• Brucella species: Culture Characteristics, Colony Morphology, and Hallmark Features
• Brucella species: Other Diagnostic Tests to Aid in Preliminary Identification
• Burkholderia species
• Burkholderia species: Likely Clinical Specimens and Gram Stain Morphology
• Burkholderia species: Culture Characteristics, Colony Morphology, and Hallmark Features
• Burkholderia species: Other Diagnostic Tests to Aid in Preliminary Identification
• Practice Questions
• Gram stains are performed on positive blood culture bottles. Match the organism that MOST closely resembles the description of the Gram stain morpholo...
• Which of the following organisms display the characteristic "Medusa head" on sheep blood agar (SBA) after 18 hours of incubation at 35°C?
• Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Burkholderia pseudomallei?
• Commercial Identification Systems and the Agents of Bioterrorism
• Considerations When Using Automated Identification Systems
• Commonly Misidentified Agents
• Commercial identification systems can reliably identify the bioterrorism threat agents.
• When Should a Sentinel Laboratory Refer an Isolate to a LRN Reference Laboratory?
• Suspect Bacillus anthracis?
• Suspect Yersinia pestis?
• Suspect Francisella tularensis?
• Suspect Brucella species?
• Suspect Burkholderia species?
• When following sentinel laboratory procedures and protocols, any isolate that cannot be ruled out as one of the select agents should be immediately re...
• Indigenous Areas and Disease Encountered Outside of a Bioterrorism Event
• Location Where Organisms Naturally Occur, Disease Produced, and Mode of Transmission
• Location Where Organisms Naturally Occur, Disease Produced, and Mode of Transmission, continued:
• Match the organism to the disease produced outside a bioterrorism event.
• Other Biological Agents: Toxins and Viruses
• Role of a Sentinel Laboratory Regarding Toxins and Viruses
• Toxins
• Viruses
• A sentinel laboratory should NOT accept or process environmental or animal samples or culture clinical specimens for viruses or toxins that are potent...
• References
• References

Additional Information