How prepared is Virginia to deal with a possible biological or chemical attack from terrorists?
That’s just one of the questions that Doctor Chris Holstege spends his time trying to answer. Holstege is the director of medical toxicology at the University of Virginia, and an assistant professor of emergency medicine. He’s also the medical director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, health and public safety departments across the country have struggled to come up with a response plan for what to do, and what NOT to do, in the event of a bioterror incident.
Holstege spoke at Woodberry Forest School in Orange on April 14th, 2005, as part of UVa’s Engaging the Mind series. This forty-minute lecture gives an overview of some of the possible biological and chemical agents that have been used as weapons in the past, as well as a basic rundown on what officials have learned from previous biological attacks.