Biological Threat Fact Sheets

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Anthrax

Agent:  Bacillus anthracis

There are three clinical forms of B. anthracis which are determined by route of entry:

  • Pulmonary or Inhalation—BT implications

  • Cutaneous—most common

  • Gastrointestinal

Key Characteristics: 

  • Aerobic or facultative anaerobe

  • Spore-forming

  • Gram-positive rods

  • Non-hemolytic (gamma)

  • Non-motile

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Isolate

  • Cutaneous anthrax: sterile swab from vesicular or eschar stage

  • Gastrointestinal anthrax: Blood culture, stool (≥5 g) or rectal swab

  • Inhalational anthrax: Blood culture, lower respiratory specimen (>1ml)

  • Environmental samples submitted by law enforcement personnel

Specimen Submission:

All specimens must be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping regulations. All clinical specimens must be accompanied by a specimen submission form (G-27A). Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

Anthrax

Brucellosis

Agent: Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis, and Brucella canis

  • Aerosols of Brucella spp. are considered to be highly infectious.

  • B. melitensis produces the most severe and acute form of disease.

  • B. abortus produces a more chronic form of disease.

  • B. suis may also cause severe acute disease, but is associated with osteomyelitis.

  • B. canis rarely causes disease in humans.

Key Characteristics:

  • Small gram-negative coccobacilli

  • Slow-grower, colonies appear after 48-72 hrs of incubation

  • Non-motile

  • Oxidase positive

  • Urease positive

  • X and V factors not required

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Isolate

  • Blood culture

  • Bone marrow

  • Tissue sample

  • Environmental samples submitted by law enforcement personnel

Specimen Submission:

All specimens must be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping regulations. All clinical specimens must be accompanied by a specimen submission form (G-27A). Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

Brucella sp.

Botulism

Agent: Clostridium botulinum

There are three forms of botulism:

  • Foodborne (classic form)

  • Wound

  • Intestinal (infant and adult)

Key Points:

  • Please have physician consult with the Infectious Disease Control Unit (IDCU) prior to sample collection:

    • (800) 252-8239 (“press 1”)

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Stool

    • 10-50 grams recommended for an adult

    • ≥5 grams recommended for an infant

    • Do not freeze

  • Serum

    • 10ml minimum for an adult is recommended

    • Not recommended for infant testing

  • Wound

    • Tissue from a biopsy or swab from deep in the wound

  • Food

    • Only tested if associated with a confirmed botulism case

Shipping conditions:

  • Stools and serum

    • Should be shipped cold (on cold packs, not dry ice) by overnight courier

  • Wound

    • Ship tissue in anaerobic atmosphere

    • Swab in anaerobic transport for swabs

    • Ship without refrigeration

  • Food

    • Should be shipped in original container under current storage conditions (Example: cold storage submitted cold; frozen storage submitted frozen; etc)

Specimen Submission:

All specimens must be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping regulations. All clinical specimens must be accompanied by a specimen submission form (G-27A). Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

 

Tularemia

Agent: Francisella tularemia

  • Aerosols of F. tularensis. are considered to be highly infectious.

  • Two subspecies cause human disease:

    • F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (highly virulent)

    • F. tularensis subsp. holarctica (less virulent)

Key Characteristics:

  • Tiny gram-negative coccobacilli

  • Slow-grower, colonies appear after 48-72 hrs of incubation

  • Usually requires cysteine supplementation

  • Non-motile

  • Oxidase negative

  • Urease negative

  • Beta-lactamase positive

  • X and V factors not required

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Isolate

  • Blood culture

  • Biopsied tissue or scraping of an ulcer (preferable)

  • Swab of an ulcer (acceptable alternative)

  • Tissue aspirate

  • Environmental samples submitted by law enforcement personnel

Specimen Submission:

All specimens must be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping regulations. All clinical specimens must be accompanied by a specimen submission form (G-27A). Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

Tularemia

Plague

Agent: Yersinia pestis

  • Three forms of plague:

    • Bubonic: infected lymph nodes

    • Septicemic: blood-borne organisms

    • Pneumonic: transmissible person-to-person; deadliest

Key Characteristics:

  • Gram-negative coccobacilli with bipolar staining

  • Colonies appear after 24-48 hrs of incubation

  • Grows better at 22-25°C

  • Non-motile

  • Oxidase negative

  • Urease negative

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Isolate

  • Bubonic: Aspirate of involved tissue (bubonic) or biopsied specimen: Tissue or aspirates that can be obtained for culture include liver, spleen, bone marrow, lymph node, and/or lung

  • Septicemic: blood

  • Pneumonic: Bronchial wash or transtracheal aspirate (>1 ml)

  • Environmental samples submitted by law enforcement personnel

Specimen Submission:

All specimens must be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping regulations. All clinical specimens must be accompanied by a specimen submission form (G-27A). Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

Yersinia pestis

Melioidosis / Glanders

Agent: Burholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei

  • B. pseudomallei- causative agent of melioidosis

  • B. mallei – causative agent of glanders

Key Characteristics:

  • B. pseudomallei

    • Gram-negative rods with bipolar staining

    • Oxidase positive

    • Indole negative

    • Motile

    • Resistant to colistin/polymyxin B

  • B. mallei

    • Faintly staining, gram-negative coccobacilli

    • Oxidase variable

    • Indole negative

    • Non-motile

    • Resistant to colistin/polymyxin B

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Isolate

  • Blood

  • Urine

  • Abscesses, tissue aspirates, fluids

  • Environmental samples submitted by law enforcement personnel

Specimen Submission:

All specimens must be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping regulations. All clinical specimens must be accompanied by a specimen submission form (G-27A). Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

Ricin Toxin

Agent: Ricin toxin

  • Ricin toxin is derived from castor beans, Ricinus communis.

  • Medical tests to confirm that a person has been exposed to ricin are not widely available.

  • No antidote exists for ricin.

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Clinical:

    • Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, does not currently accept clinical samples for ricin toxin testing.

    • Serum (acute and convalescent – 2 weeks apart) testing is performed at the CDC

    • Not indicated unless a known exposure has occurred

  • Environmental: food, beverage, soil, water, powder, swabs, wipes, paper, plant material

    • Submitted by law enforcement personnel only

Specimen collection:

  • Collect specimens in plastic containers and be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping

  • Store specimens at room temperature or refrigerate

  • NEVER freeze or heat samples suspected of containing ricin toxin, as this will denature the toxin

Specimen Submission:

Prior to submission, Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

Castor beans
Castor leaf

Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB)

Agent: Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)

  • SEB is one of several exotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus.

  • SEB is the enterotoxin that most commonly causes classic food poisoning.

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Clinical: Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, does not currently accept clinical sample for SEB testing.

  • Environmental: paper, powder, swabs, wipes, water, soil, food, beverage

    • Submitted by law enforcement personnel only

Specimen Submission:

Prior to submission, Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

Q Fever

Agent: Coxiella burnetii

  • C. burnetii is an obligate intracellular organism and cannot be cultured on routine bacteriologic media.

  • Due to the extreme infectivity of C. burnetii, Level A (Sentinel) laboratories should not attempt to culture this organism.

Acceptable Specimens:

  • Blood - Collect blood in EDTA (lavender) or sodium citrate (blue) and maintain at 4°C for storage and shipping for PCR or special cultures

Specimen Submission:

All specimens must be triple contained in accordance with federal shipping regulations. All clinical specimens must be accompanied by a specimen submission form (G-27A). Prior to submission, please call (512) 776-3781.

 

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