DOI: 10.31038/IDT.2024515

Commentary

This presentation was due to cover a wide range of clinical syndromes, induced by microorganisms that could be used as biological threats. This was issued for the European Training in Infectious Disease Emergencies (ETIDE), held at the Lazzaro Spallanzani Institute of Infectious Diseases in Rome, Italy, where I participated as lecturer during 2008-2009.

The presentation has a general part that was reviewing the main European Programs concerning the highly infectious diseases, then defining the clinical microorganisms which to be concerned off, and reviewing the main clinical syndromes produced by such microorganisms, then the main syndromic presentations: respiratory, influenza-like, digestive, neurologic, cutaneous, sepsis.

The isolation precautions basics were discussed, then I focused on the general means of laboratory diagnosis (sample collection for isolate, immunological testing, toxin detection, molecular biology).

On the special part of presentation I focused on each syndrome and the microrganisms that induced it, discussing the etiology, modes of transmission, clinical presentation, the definite diagnosis, the treatment and the preventive measures.

Thus as respiratory syndromes I discussed the: anthrax, plague, tularemia, melioidosis, glanders, SARS, for the influenza like syndromes (influenza), for the neurological syndromes (botulism, anthrax), cutaneous syndromes ( anthrax, plague, tularemia, melioidosis, glanders, smallpox), for sepsis (plague, melioidosis, glanders, hemorrhagic fevers), as for the digestive syndromes (gastrointestinal anthrax, tularemia, the hemolytic uremic syndrome).

Towards the end of my presentation I discussed the coordinated response against those biological threats (e.g for paramedics, triage nurses, nurses), and the conclusions: that bioweapon proliferation is a contemporary reality, the potentially use of the genetically modified microorganisms.

The reality was that the syndromic approach represents a ready and efficient answer to bioweapon threats, and a practical and efficacious way to biodefense. The proper strategically approach includes: the coordinated response (medical and social) where co-operation is necessary.

Thus, my presentation represents a synthesis of the syndromes produced by the offensive microbiological agents, and the proper preparing for those conditions is a realistic way to protect the population for the eventuality of these unwanted events.