ABSTRACT
Public Health Responsibilities Public Health o¢cials have many responsibilities in their regular course of business. ey are required to make inspections of various types of public facilities, including
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areas where food is served, and medical facilities. Additionally, health departments will monitor illnesses reported at hospitals, being ever vigilant for spikes in certain types of illness that may indicate an epidemic, public health emergency or terrorist attack. Epidemiologists are charged with studying diseases, and will track trends for their agencies. e role of public health agencies has changed since 9/11. Americans and the response community are more cognizant of the potential for biological attacks from terrorists. is was evident in Florida and New Jersey in the aftermath of 9/11. In both of those states, there were biological attacks that used anthrax as the weapon of choice. ere were several fatalities, and in New Jersey, the post o¢ce through which the a ected letters were routed was closed for several years.1 ere have been other incidents of terrorism, mostly domestic, where public health o¢cials were called in to assist with cause and origin determinations.
