24 September 2008

Tularemia Risk Communication:

CDC’s “Co= mmunicating in the First Hours”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) = has previously posted on their website a series of risk communication documents related to major emergency threats including the CDC Category A bioterrorism candidate agents such as tularemia, anthrax, and pneumonic plague. These documents, termed “Communicating in the First Hours”, can be fo= und at www.bt.cdc.gov/fi= rsthours/tularemia

For tularemia a five-page pdf is posted that addresses s= even (7) points as part of “Health and Safety Information”. These points are:

= 1.&n= bsp; What is happening?

= 2.&n= bsp; What is tularemia and can it spread from person to person?

= 3.&n= bsp; What are symptoms of tularemia?=

= 4.&n= bsp; What to do if you have symptoms of tularemia and = were recently in the xxx area.

= 5.&n= bsp; What to do if you are or have been near the xxx a= rea and do not have any symptoms of tularemia.

= 6.&n= bsp; What to do to protect yourself<= /p>

= 7.&n= bsp; What is being done and how to get more informatio= n.

This 5-page pdf, dated December 28, 2005, can be f= ound online at:

www.bt= .cdc.gov/firsthours/pdf/messages_tularemia.pdf

Daniel R. Lucey, MD, MPH

EROne Institutes, Washington Hospital Center

Co-Director, M.S. Graduate program in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases

Geo= rgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C= .=

Website for this posting: www.BePast.org

e-mail:DRL23@Georgetown.edu