Bioterrorism is the intentional use of infectious agents, or germs, to cause illness. Bioterrorism preparedness has been made a national priority. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has worked with state and local health departments to identify and to respond to bioterrorism for several years.

Cowlitz County Health Department has received funding from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Washington State Department of Health to upgrade the local public health departments' preparedness and response to bioterrorism events, outbreaks of infectious disease, and other public health threats and emergencies. As the CDC intended, these funds are being used to augment, complement, and closely coordinate the bioterrorism activities with the Health Department's efforts in infectious disease epidemiology (epidemiology refers to the incidence and control of infectious diseases), surveillance (the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data), isolation, and quarantine.

Related Health Department Web Links

• Chemical and Physical Hazards

• Pandemic Influenza

• Public Health Emergency Preparedness Response

• Stop Germs, Stay Healthy

Related County Websites

• Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management

• Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH)

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Anthrax   (In other languages)

• Botulism    (In other languages)

• Chemical Warfare Agents   (In other languages)

• Pneumonic Plague   (In other languages)

• Prevent the Spread of Germs   (In other languages)

• Radioactive Materials   (In other languages)

• Smallpox   (In other languages)

• Tularemia    (In other languages)

• Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers   (In other languages)