Laboratory diagnosis and biosafety issues of biological warfare agents

Bioterrorism events have been rare until recently. Many clinical laboratories may not be familiar with handling specimens from a possible bioterrorism attack. Therefore, they should be aware of their own responsibilities and limitations in the handling and treatment of such specimens, and what to do if they are requested to process clinical samples. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed the Laboratory Response Network to provide an organized response system for the detection and diagnosis of biological warfare agents based on laboratory testing abilities and facilities. There are potentially many biological warfare agents, but probably a limited number of agents would be encountered in case of an attack, and their identification and laboratory safety will be discussed.