Bioterrorism, an Emerging Threat

Various books such as Handbook of Viral Bioterrorism and Biodefense (Clercq and Kern, 2003), Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Containing and Preventing Biological Threats (Ryan and Glarum, 2008), and Bioterrorism: Threats and Deterrents (Çankaya and Kibaroǧlu, 2010) have discussed threats, causes, and effects of bioterrosim in different parts of the world. The chapter on “Bioterrorism, an Emerging Threat in Pakistan” focuses on the current situation of bioterrorism in Pakistan. Several examples from all around the world have been quoted to highlight different incidents of bioterrorism across the world. After addressing vicious epidemics, several laboratory methods for detection and surveillance for bioterrorism have been elaborated. The case studies of bioterrorism in terms of warfare highlight use of bioweapons at political fronts. Similarly, the success story of controlling bird flu and advent and persistence of dengue show the status of bioterrorism and Pakistan's preparedness to deal with this menace. Pakistan has strengthened itself to deal with bioterrorism by adopting different national and global tools for governance. However, the rapid decline in environmental quality leads to an increase in biohazards. It is important to address bioterrorism at every forum so that sustainable solutions can be devised to tackle environmental deteriorations.