Lack of Adequate Surveillance of Biological Threats is a Peril to Global Public Health

Abstract

ISSN:2157-2526 JBTBD, an open access journal J Bioterror Biodef Bioterrorism: Infectious Diseases Vigilance is essential if we are to be prepared against biological threats stemming from bioterrorist attacks to emerging infectious diseases. Surveillance can provide valuable information for risk assessment and to make decisions on which pathogens to target with the most attention to development and stockpiling of preand postexposure prophylactic vaccines, drugs, or therapies. However, deciding on what probable bioweapon threats and emerging infectious diseases to invest time and resources on poses a challenge, especially during harsh economic times or in poorer regions. Should we thus, attempt to focus on the most plausible threat or the most devastating threat to occur even if it appears to be less probable?