ABSTRACT
The vast majority of infectious disease outbreaks are unintentional, and the world is working in concert to curb those events. The exercise, designed with meticulous attention to biological plausibility, the use of infectious microorganisms to attack humans, plants or animals. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism, A Public Health Strategy, concludes that the current US public health infrastructure is unprepared to address the psychological needs of the population in the event of ongoing threats of terrorism. In assessing the danger of particular pathogens as potential bioterrorism weapons, health officials consider the characteristics to determine what kind of damage they might inflict both physically and psychologically, Public health, veterinarian and agricultural experts all have identified agents of greatest concern to their various disciplines. The US Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 2004 nationwide survey, found that the number of epidemiologists focused on areas such as environmental and occupational health has decreased or remained stagnant.
