You are working as an emergency doctor at a community health clinic near a convention center. Over the course of the afternoon on the second day of a conference being held in the convention center,...

You are working as an emergency doctor at a community health clinic near a convention center. Over the course of the afternoon on the second day of a conference being held in the convention center, approximately 200 of the attendees at the conference come into your clinic with complaints of double vision, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, and overall weakness.

A. What is the most likely biological agent (plague, anthrax, smallpox, or botulinum toxin) causing these symptoms?

B. Considering the nature of this outbreak, what are the first steps you take as a first responder to this emergency? What is your primary concern in dealing with this crisis?

C. By the end of the day, your worst fears are that this may be an act of bioterrorism. What are the next steps that you should take?