On Sunday, December 21, the nation's threat level was raised from elevated risk ("yellow") to high risk ("orange"), the second highest level of the Homeland Security Advisory System.  The change reflects an increased risk of a terrorist attack on the U.S.  At this time, public health agencies, hospitals, and clinicians are urged to be fully prepared to respond to terrorist attacks involving bioterrorism, chemical, or radiation/nuclear weapons.  CDC information on these agents, symptoms of exposure and infection, treatment guidelines, surveillance protocols, and laboratory procedures can be found at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/.

The following several messages from the Texas Health Alert Network (HAN), an electronic network linking more than 60 local public health agencies in Texas, are provided to you to identify CDC resources for use in case of an emergency.   Each HAN message will focus on a different set of hazard agents that could be used in a terrorist event:  bioterrorism, chemical, and radiation/nuclear threats.

1)  Information on Public Health Response in the Event of a Bioterrorism Emergency

2)  Public Health Information and Resources for a Possible Chemical Emergency

3)  Information for Clinicians in the Event of a Radiation or Nuclear Emergency
4)  Information on Public Health Response to a Radiological or Nuclear Emergency