Although the world has yet to witness a major bioterrorist attack, the field of bioterrorism continues to capture the attention of scientists, policy makers, and public health professionals. Symposia and reports are commonplace, and relevant legislation recently made it through Congress.
Two upcoming government reports reaffirm a bioterrorism preparedness problem and recommend remedies. One comes from the Department of Defense (DOD) Threat Reduction Advisory Committee (TRAC), the other from the Defense Science Board (DSB), a federal advisory committee established to provide independent advice to the secretary of defense. Parts of each report will be classified; both are due out later this year.
According to TRAC report author Joshua Lederberg, president emeritus of Rockefeller University and chairman of the editorial advisory board of The Scientist, the paper tries to clarify the biodefense role of the DOD and other government agencies. According to George Poste, CEO of the Gilbertsville, Pa.-based Health Technology ...
