Responses should be a minimum of 250 words and include direct questions. You may challenge, support or supplement another student’s answer using the terms, concepts and theories from the required readings. Also, do not be afraid to respectfully disagree where you feel appropriate; as this should be part of your analysis process at this academic level.

Forum posts are graded on timeliness, relevance, knowledge of the weekly readings, and the quality of original ideas. Sources utilized to support answers are to be cited in accordance with the APA writing style by providing a general parenthetical citation (reference the author, year and page number) within your post, as well as an adjoining reference list. Refer to grading rubric for additional details concerning grading criteria.

Respond to Darlene:

Bioterrorism is a serious threat to every country in the world. “Biological weapons involve the use of toxins or infectious agents that are biological in origin.” (Newman, 2018). They can be in many forms such as bacteria, viruses, or even fungi which make them hard to detect. This can be detrimental to human life because of its unpredictability. Many millennia’s ago there was evidence of water being contaminated with a fungus in order to reach enemies to hopefully cause death. Thinking about the advancements in the world today to include technology, the threat is even more disturbing because of the unknown. By being able to use technology it makes being able to mutate certain genes to produce something so life threatening, this is even more concerning because it does not cost that much as well which means it is more easily accessible to anyone who wants to use bioterrorism.

With that in mind the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the BioWatch Program in 2003. The program “provides early warning of a bioterrorist attack in more than 30 major metropolitan areas across the country. This early warning helps decision makers plan an effective, coordinated, and rapid response.” (Detecting Bioterrorist Attacks, n.d.). In order for this program to work it utilizes analysis, notifications processes, and assessment of air-monitoring to help mitigate a biological attacks. This program uses many different agencies in order to get its work done. From public health, emergency management, law enforcement, all from the local, state, and federal government work hard to ensure that the threats do not escalate into anything more than just that.

If BioWatch is a program specifically designed for air-monitoring than there are still gaps that need to be filled in order to protect against other avenues of approach. Ensuring that water and food are not being infected can be hard to detect but needs to be wrapped into this as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works diligently to make medicine in order to help protect people against these attacks by having vaccinations on hand if needed. This means that they are continuously researching diseases and avenues to infect people along with different or new strains of bacteria, fungus, and viruses. I think that there needs to be more emphasis on the risk of such an attack because of the advancements happening in the world today. Having procedures in place when an attack happens will help to learn more about the steps needed to take to possibly quarantine and decontaminate people and places as well. Studies are crucial, no one wants an attack to happen but in order to learn and prepare there needs to be evidence. “A disaster response program should include many elements if it is to be successful in dealing with the effects of a WMD attack and restoring public order.” (Countering Bioterrorism, 2002). By ensuring that there are programs, plans, and policies in place from the local level all the way to the federal government to react if needed towards these threats will help with the resilience process because there will be a way to build back up and not just dwell on the hardship that just happened.

WC – 532

Biodefense and Bioterrorism. (2019). U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/biodefenseandbioterrorism.html.

Countering Bioterrorism: The Role of Science and Technology. (2002). National Research Council (US) Panel on Biological Issues. Washington DC: National Academies Press (US). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221142/.

Detecting Bioterrorist Attacks. (n.d). Homeland Security. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/biowatch-program.

Newman, T. (2018). Bioterrorism: Should we be worried? Medical News Today. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321030.php.

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