Exercises - PH 462: Bioterrorism Preparedness & Response

In addition to a variety of learning activities, there are 3 instructor-evaluated activities associated with PH 462: (1) complete the individual exercise; (2) participate in a multi-learner conferencing exercise; and (3) complete and submit the assessment quiz. Each of these is explained below.

Learning Activities (Note: these ARE NOT to be submitted!)

A series of individual learning exercises for this module are provided below. Completing these exercises will familiarize you with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that relate to the competency expectation for this module that is described above. Note that learners are not required to submit written response for these learning exercises. Completing these exercises, however, will prepare you for components of this module that are assessed and scored.

1. The basic content for PH 462 is provided in the web-based sources identified in the learning activities listed below .Similar information is provided in hard copy format in: Public Health Issues in Disaster Preparedness: Focus on Bioterrorism (pp. 57-120). LF Novick and JS Marr (eds); Gaithersburg MD; Aspen Publishers; 2001.
   • Taking the Terror Out of Bioterrorism: Planning for a Bioterrorist Event from a Local Perspective (pp 57-63). LC Garrett, C Macgruder, CA Molgard
   • Bioterrorism Threats: Learning from Inappropriate Responses (pp 64-74). LA Cole
   • Bioterrorism: Agents of Concern (pp 75-84). TJ Cieslak, EM Eitzen
   • A History of Biological and Chemical Warfare and Terrorism (pp 85-92). CD Malloy
   • Bioterrorism: A Challenge to Public Health and Medicine (pp 93-98). MA Hamburg
   • Bioterrorism Preparedness: Planning for the future (pp 99-103). LD Rotz, D Koo, PW O'Carroll, RB Kellogg, MJ Sage, SR Lillibridge
   • Intergovernmental Preparedness and Response to Potential Catastrophic Biological Terrorism (pp 104-110). S Kuhr, JM Hauer
   • Bioterrorism: Challenges and Opportunities for Local Health Departments (pp 111-116). RJ Gallo, D Campbell
   • The Role and Responsibility of the Media in the Event of a Bioterrorist Act (pp 117-120) HW Wyatt
2. Review the Bioterror web site the basic information there on the history of bioterrorism, biological weapons, targets and dissemination techniques, and difference between chemical and biological terrorist threats and events. (Several archived webcast resources may be useful in this exercise, if you are able to access them, including Bioterrorism Preparedness: A Progress Report and Bioterrorism: Implications for Public Health. How serious a risk to the public health's are bioterrorism threats and risks today? Compare these risks to other important risks to the public's health in the 21st century.
3. Review the web-based tutorial Anthrax and the web resources on the Anthrax Outbreak of 2001. Then describe what makes anthrax a good weapon for bioterrorism. Relate key aspects of the definition of bioterrorism to the anthrax events of Fall 2001. How effective do you believe bioterrorists were in achieving their ends in this chain of events? What are the implications for future responses?
4. Review the archived webcastsBioterrorism: Implications for Public Health (1999) and Bioterrorism Preparedness: A Progress Report (2002) and then describe the key components of the national strategy and lessons learned from the 2001 anthrax events.
5. Review the PDF document, Elements of Effective Local Bioterrorism Preparedness: A Planning Primer for Local Public Health Agencies. Then describe the key components of local strategies to prepare communities to deal effectively with bioterrorism threats and events.
6. Review the UCLA web resource cataloging Epidemiologic Information on Bioterrorism. Briefly describe the bioterrorism risk associated with the two infectious agents that you believe to be the most likely to be used in a bioterrorism event affecting your community. Be sure to explain why.
7. Examine each of the web sites listed below and become familiar with their components that relate to bioterrorism-related public health preparedness and response. Which ones did you find to be the most useful for providing information and insights related to the central topic of this part of the course? Why? Are there other web sites you would suggest adding to this list?
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the CDC Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response web site
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Food and Drug Administration
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
• National Association of County and City Health Officials
• Public Health Foundation
• American Public Health Association
• State Health Departments (such as the Illinois Department of Public Health or others that you may find at the ASTHO web site)
• Local Health Departments (such as the Chicago Department of Public Health or others you may find through some of the various national web sites or those of state health departments)

Evaluated Activities (Note: these ARE to be submitted!)

(1) Individual Exercise

Each learner will submit a brief response to the following exercise. Produce your response on a separate document to be uploaded at the "Submit Assignments" link. Please use "PH 462 Individual Exercises" as the title of your submission.

Each learner will participate in a simulation of a public health preparedness and response incident. You will begin with some basic information (see Storyboard 1) and then you will proceed through a series of events that unfold. You should review the information on each new event, and the comments and reactions posted by other learners before adding your own input for each event. You should proceed through the 22 events in order (i.e., do not skip ahead to find out what happens next in this simulation). Your postings should be brief but they should include arguments, evidence and rationale to support your input.

(2) Conferencing Exercise

Complete the BioterroRisk simulation and identify which role you assumed and which elements of this course were most useful in expanding your knowledge of bioterrorism preparedness and response. Produce your responses on a separate document to be uploaded at the "Submit Assignments" link. Please use "PH 462 Conferencing Exercises" as the title of your submission.

(3) Assessment Quiz

Follow the LearningSpace link to the Assessment Quiz. You may be asked for your login ID and password to access the quiz through your Preparedness Center Personal Page. Complete the quiz and submit your responses. You make take the quiz several times.

Course Evaluation: All learners are asked to electronically complete a Course Evaluation Questionnaire; this is available to you as an electronic form and will be transmitted to a data base without your identity being known, and your instructor will have no way to link your identity to your comments. Before participating in these course evaluation activities, students should review the specific learning objectives established for this course (and others you may have taken as part of this series); these are available in the Syllabus. Evaluation of the course should focus on the extent to which these objectives were achieved.

PH 462 Exercises last revised June 30, 2005 (dkapadia)