The news jolted an already sensitive public about biological terrorism, a reaction that city officials tried all day to calm.

"But biological terrorism is real and the government is beginning to take steps to defend against it."

Preparing for biological terrorism: an emergency services planning guide.

The victims of biological terrorism in fact became weapons themselves.

Allowing individuals to choose whether to get smallpox vaccinations will help reduce the threat of biological terrorism.

Yet experts in biological terrorism say the road maps for dealing with such disasters are out there.

"The threat of biological terrorism is not uniquely military."

Finally, biological terrorism was added to the original objectives after the events of 11 September.

That is why this threat of biological, nuclear and chemical terrorism deserves to be given increased attention by the European Union.

In 1997 the two laws were called a "model" for what may be needed to prevent acts of domestic biological terrorism.