title: Medical toxicology and public health-update on research and activities at the centers for disease control and prevention and the agency for toxic substances and disease registry.
abstract: An extensive review of CDC epidemiological responses to human outbreaks of anthrax from occupational settings between the years of 1950 and 2001 documented a variety of approaches to mitigation and decontamination [2]. These approaches included taking no action, burning contaminated materials, chlorinating water supplies, instituting administrative and engineering controls and PPE, vaccinating potentially exposed individuals, and in 2 instances, fumigating with formaldehyde vapor (now considered to be a human carcinogen). Secondary contamination of a worker's home was documented in 1 case, but not felt to be clinically significant to warrant any decontamination efforts. In response to the B. anthracis attacks in 2001, chlorine dioxide fumigation, vaporous hydrogen peroxide fumigation, and a combination of HEPA vacuuming, cleaning, and bleach application were all techniques used successfully to clean B. anthracis spore contamination.
authors.affiliation: National Decontamination Team, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA.
authors.forename: Curtis P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Snook
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cardarelli
authors.forename: R Leroy
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Mickelsen
authors.forename: Dino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mattorano
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nalipinski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000737:chemistry; D002417:Cattle; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D003237:Connecticut; D003666:Decontamination; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004202:Disinfectants; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D008297:Male; D010087:Oxides; D011634:Public Health; D012042:Registries; D012106:Research; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D014462:Ultrafiltration; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
chemical_list: D017606:Chlorine Compounds; D004202:Disinfectants; D010087:Oxides; C025109:chlorine dioxide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide