Goodall Hospital has long been prepared to respond to a disaster. However, the events of September 11 and the issues surrounding biological terrorism that followed have raised the bar and caused us all to redefine the meaning of disaster, as well as how we respond. The hospital has taken several steps to heighten our level of preparedness and to ensure the safety of our staff and patients. In light of the recent concern about anthrax, it’s important to note these following facts from the Maine Bureau of Health:

• Anthrax is not contagious;
• Anthrax is treatable, especially if detected early or when it is the common skin form;
• It is very difficult to contract anthrax through the skin, unless one has an open sore and/or fails to wash his/her hands after handling a contaminated package/letter.
• Several dozens of ‘suspicious’ letters and packages have been tested in Maine since the first report of anthrax. None of these items have been contaminated with any biological agents.

We recommend the following websites for more information about bioterrorism:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer the most recent updates and nicely completed fact sheets on this topic. www.bt.cdc.gov

Maine State Government Bioterrorism Fact Sheet

This site provides a list of bioterrrorism resources in Maine. http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/ddc/indexnew.htm