Anthrax. Federal Agencies Have Taken Some Steps to Validate Sampling Methods and to Develop a Next Generation Anthrax Vaccine

摘要

The threat of bioterrorism has long been recognized in the United States and abroad. The Department of Defense (DOD) considers inhalation anthrax to be the greatest biological warfare threat to U.S. military forces. The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases has been conducting basic and applied research on biological threats since 1969, in order to develop medical countermeasures prophylactics, vaccines, medical diagnostics to protect warfighters. The anthrax incidents in 2001 highlighted major gaps in civilian preparedness to detect and respond to anthrax attacks, leading the federal government to focus on developing new drugs, vaccines, and therapeutics to protect U.S. citizens. As a result, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) now has major responsibility to ensure that appropriate medical countermeasures are available for civilians. And the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assumes major responsibility for coordinating federal responses to national incidents of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear release.