They include bacterial or viral agents and toxins which pose a danger because of their ease of transmission and/or severity of illness they cause. They have the potential to have a major impact on public health and require preparedness to reduce the consequences of any deliberate release.

Health authorities will notify medical practitioners if an increased threat from a biological agent develops. This will assist in preparing medical practitioners to detect and treat diseases that are normally very rare in Australia.

The most serious bioterrorism threats are posed by infectious agents that cause severe disease, including smallpox, anthrax, plague, tularaemia, viral haemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Lassa and Marburg viruses) and also botulinum toxin. These cause acute and severe disease, but in the early stages immediately after exposure, symptoms may be difficult to distinguish from more common illnesses. Concern that a person may be suffering from a disease caused by a bioterrorism agent would be heightened by evidence of an attack elsewhere or a credible terrorist threat.

The last naturally acquired case of smallpox worldwide occurred in 1977. Plague, viral haemorrhagic fevers and tularaemia do not occur naturally in Australia. Distinguishing bioterrorism agents from more common illnesses is likely to need assistance from infectious diseases laboratories and other experts.

The Department of Health and Ageing has produced fact sheets and clinical guidelines for managing a smallpox or anthrax outbreak:

There is also information on a number of other diseases that are potential bioterrorism agents here.

Clinical information about a range of biological agents is also available from various websites, including:

Emergency Management Australia, the Australian Government agency with responsibility for national leadership in the development of measures to reduce risk to communities and manage the consequences of disasters, has also developed a manual that provides clinical information about biological and chemical agents, titled “Health Aspects of Chemical, Biological and Radiological Hazards”.

Security Sensitive Biological Agent Regulation

The Department of Health and Ageing is developing a regulatory scheme for security sensitive biological agents in support of the National Health Security Act 2007. Further information about the government's regulatory scheme for security sensitive biological agents.
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