Legal Aspects of Biosecurity

Chapter 10 covers the administrative and legal aspects of biosecurity, which include international treaties, laws, statutes, regulations, and government directives aimed at reducing the threat due to the biological agents and enabling enforcers to deal with those that use them with ill intentions. These administrative measures have helped define programs and strengthen biodefense and biosecurity all over the globe. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the most relevant documents in hopes that the reader will appreciate the authority and framework given to officials by these measures. The chapter is not written for legal professionals. Rather, it is written for emergency management and public health professionals that may have to apply the rules of law in everyday situations. Care should be taken to consult a legal professional before utilizing any of the concepts related to public health law.