Donald A. Henderson, Thomas V. Inglesby, Tara O'Toole, editors
Chicago: American Medical Association; 2002. 256 pp. US$29.95 ISBN 1-57947-280-X
Rating: ****
Audience: Medical and public health practitioners.
Content: The beginning of the book includes a series of articles summarizing the clinical cases of anthrax that occurred in the United States in the fall of 2001. It proceeds with separate chapters for each of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Class A agents of bioterrorism (anthrax, smallpox, the plague, botulinum toxin, tularemia and hemorrhagic fever viruses). The focus is on their use as biological weapons. These chapters lead to discussions of consensus statements from the US Working Group on Civilian Biodefence. The topic of large-scale quarantine concludes the book.
Strengths: Bioterrorism: guidelines for medical and public health management, written by recognized experts, is concise, direct, reader-friendly and stimulating. The information presented is the product of an evidence-gathering process and expert opinion. By bringing together the most recent information on clinical features, diagnosis, pathogenesis, epidemiology, infection control, decontamination and treatment, it will satisfy both attending physicians and public health practitioners. It is a reasonable book that honestly discusses the difficulties of diagnosis and management. The writers provide ample information without overburdening the reader. Illustrations and tables are used effectively. This excellent book provides readers with an easily accessible wealth of information on bioterrorism.
Limitations: Bioterrorism is an ever-changing topic. The authors are well aware of this and emphasize that “the conclusions and recommendations need to be regularly re-assessed as new information becomes available.” Discussions on research needs may be insufficient for researchers, but do sufficiently provide general knowledge, which is likely the intention. A chapter summarizing the non-Class A agents would be useful. The book is written in the American context, and therefore Canadian public health approaches may differ.
Marc-André Beaulieu
Neurologist, Ottawa Hospital
Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Senior Medical Advisor, Bioterrorism, Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention
and Control, Health Canada
Ottawa, Ont.
The opinions expressed are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect official Health Canada policy.
This book is available through your local book retailer or through the publisher at www.ama-assn
.org/ama/pub/article/8183-6790.html
Footnotes
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Items reviewed are rated on a 4-star scale (4 = excellent)