FRANKFORT — Kentucky plans to beef up its medical detective force, expand laboratories and assess the extent to which its 123 hospitals are prepared to deal with “bioterrorism” — the use of exotic microbes as weapons.

        Those are elements of a state bioterrorism response plan, using $15 million from the federal government.

        It is not an entirely new exercise, taken in reaction to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

        “We have dealt with these things in the past,” said Dr. Rice Leach, state commissioner of public health. “But since polio and tuberculosis have declined, we've not had to handle things that affected the entire system.”

        Kentucky, like some other states, got a hint of the challenge during a rash of anthrax hoaxes in the weeks after Sept. 11.

        No anthrax was found, but emergency crews, health departments, police and the state's public health laboratory had to spring into action when suspicious powders were found in mailed letters, a sheriff's office and a public restroom.

        Dr. Leach said the ability to “process a large number of sick people, whatever the reason,” is a perceived vulnerability.

        All hospitals have emergency disaster plans, but it is unknown how many have procedures for a “bioterroristic event,” according to the Kentucky plan. To find out, Dr. Leach's agency, the Kentucky Department for Public Health, is contracting with the Kentucky Hospital Association for a survey.

        Some communities probably are more prepared than others, Dr. Leach said. For example, hospital staffs in the Richmond area are “a lot more geared up” because of the Army's controversial stockpile of nerve gas near Berea.

        A survey of emergency medical services also is planned. It is likely that EMS crews would require extensive training and personal protective equipment, according to the agency's report.

        Dr. Leach said EMS crews conceivably could be overwhelmed by a volume of casualties, raising a question: “How prepared are we to use station wagons if we don't have ambulances?”

        Some other planned actions, as listed in Kentucky's agreement with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in a grant proposal to the Health Resources and Services Administration:

        è Hire 16 more epidemiologists, who would be stationed in local health departments around the state. They are specially trained to deal with infectious diseases.

        è Upgrade two animal laboratories — one in Lexington, one in Hopkinsville — to be able to confirm suspected biologic agents. The central state laboratory in Frankfort is the only lab in the state so equipped at the moment.

        Why animal labs? “The critters could be a source of terrorism,” Dr. Leach said. “Someone could infect our milk, eggs, chickens and maybe, or maybe not, get it on the humans.”

        Dr. Leach said Kentucky is not starting from scratch. State disaster officials have had years of practice dealing with floods, tornadoes, blizzards and pollution catastrophes.

        They operate from an emergency center in Frankfort, gathering and distributing information. Part of the job is watching for outbreaks of disease or contamination of drinking water, among other things.

        “Knowing what you're dealing with is a really critical thing,” Leach said.

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