Internet Resource for Biodefense

A new website has been launched in response to the increased need to test, sample, and identify potential bioterrorist agents (http://bd.com/biodefense). It is intended as a resource for clinical, public health, and industrial laboratories.

The site features products for sampling, testing, and presumptive identification of anthrax. Additional information is offered by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pictured as flow charts for culturing and staining anthrax, based on cutaneous, gastrointestinal, or inhalation specimens.

Products for seven other potential agents of terrorism are also included: Brucella spp., Clostridium botulinum, Francisella tularensis, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, and Yersinia pestis. The site also contains a section for viral agent collection, transport, and identification. Viral agent testing is important when differentiating bacteria from viral disease. The website was launched by BD Diagnostic Systems (Sparks, MD, USA).



Related Links:
Biodefense website