Animals as sentinels of chemical terrorism agents: An evidence-based review

Abstract

Objectives.The goal of this systematic review was to identify evidence that animals could serve as sentinels of an attack with a chemical terrorism agent. Methods.The biomedical literature was systematically searched for evidence that wild or domestic animals exposed to certain chemical weapons of terrorism had either greater susceptibility, shorter latency period, or increased exposure risk versus humans. Additionally, we searched for documented reports of such animals historically serving as sentinels for chemical warfare agents. Results.For a small number of agents, there was limited evidence that domestic and/or wild animals could provide sentinel information to humans following an airborne attack with chemical agents, usually related to increased potential for environmental exposure. Some of this evidence was based on anecdotal case reports, and in many cases high quality chemical terrorism agent evidence regarding comparative susceptibility, exposure, and latency between humans and sentinel animal species was not found. Conclusion.Currently, there is insufficient evidence for routine use of animals as sentinels for airborne chemical warfare agents. At the same time, Poison Center surveillance systems should include animal calls, and greater communication between veterinarians and physicians could help with preparedness for a chemical terrorism attack. Further analysis of comparative chemical warfare agent toxicity between sentinel animal species and humans is needed.

Keywords: :

• Animal sentinels
• Chemical warfare agents
• Evidence-based medicine
• Comparative medicine
• Nerve agents
• Terrorism

Acknowledgments

Funding for this project came from the National Library of Medicine, grant no. 1 G08 LM07881-01. Some of this material was presented as a poster at the annual conference of North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology (NACCT), September 2005 in Orlando, FL. The authors thank Drs. Jonathan Borak and Fred Henretig for providing helpful critique of article drafts.

Notes

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