With midterms less than two weeks away, bioterrorism may be the last thing on most students’ minds.

A new research facility at Saint Louis University’s School of Public Health, though, brings the issue closer to home. The Center for Research and Education on Bioterrorism and Emerging Infections will aim to educate and help health officials handle bioterrorist attacks.

“The purpose [of the Center] is to develop methodologies and means of communication to health care providers-such as primary-care physicians and nurses,” said Richard Kurz, dean of the School of Public Health. “Basically, we want to make them aware of the potentialities of biological hazards that may return through bioterrorism or even mother nature.”

Bioterrorism refers to the use of biological agents, such as anthrax and smallpox, which can spread among large numbers of casualties over a wide area. Such agents are inexpensive, easy to produce and virtually undetectable. They can selectively target human, animal or plant victims.

Emerging infections, contagious diseases that spread mainly through air travel, may also be undetectable by health care providers.

SLU professor Gregory Evans, director of the new center, said that the center will initially focus on “training and educational programs for public health professionals, teaching them the basic signs and symptoms of bioterrorist attacks.”

Initial activities planned for the center include:

 assessing current knowledge of health care providers and public health professionals and organizations responsible for responding to bioterrorist events and detecting emerging infections;

 developing curricular and instructional material such as training manuals, brochures, videos, CD-ROMs and interactive websites;

 organizing activities such as training courses, train-the-trainer workshops, seminars and conferences;

 serving as a centralized alert center and distance-learning provider that would develop a web-centered system to provide information on bioterrorism and emerging infections;

 developing an ongoing evaluation program that will provide information for improving the web-centered system and forming a mechanism for relaying this information to others responsible for response systems and early detection of emerging infections;

 establishing a research program to study the medical, psychological and social impact of the release of biological agents by terrorists and exposure of populations to emerging infections.

The center’s staff will include infection control professionals, a communications specialist to design educational material, a graphic artist, computer programmers to set up distance-learning networks, as well as additional consultants. Infection Control Specialist Bruce Clements will manage the center.

Evans said that biological weapons differ from more conventional weaponry, such as pipe bombs and chemical agents.

“If you release a biological agent like anthrax in a banquet hall, for example, no one is going to know about it,” Evans said.

Four or five days later, when multiple patients display flu-like symptoms, physicians may diagnose and treat patients not realizing that biological agents are the cause.

Evans said that in such an event where multiple patients displayed the same types of symptoms and were involved in common activities, physicians would be able to report potential hazards and contact the center for information.

“The notion of trying to deal with biological and chemical terrorism has grown for a number of years,” Kurz said.

“There have been world incidents that have heightened people’s concerns and sensitivity to the issue.”

By educating those in the public health sector, such threats can be prevented.

“We’re not being overly dramatic about this,” Evans said.

“Like any other terrorist activity, this is something that can happen. It is not at all imminent, but certainly possible.”

Evans said that the center is the first of its kind in the Midwest. “Other centers deal with first-response issues, such as chemical spills, but not with bioterrorism and educational programs,” Evans said.

The official opening date of the center will be determined upon receipt of a $1 million federal start-up grant.

U.S. Senator Christopher Bond announced the procurement of the funds during his tour of the School of Public Health on Feb. 11. The Center will be located in O’Donnell Hall.

Kurz said that the start-up funds were granted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federally-funded agency that will oversee the new facility.

External funding and additional grants will be sought in the future.