http://annals.org/ en-us Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:46:40 GMT Silverchair editor@annals.org webmaster@annals.org http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleID=1033261 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Bush LM, Perez MT. <span class="paragraphSection">Ten years ago, just weeks after the September 11 attacks, the United States experienced a deliberate act of bioterrorism. Through use of the postal service, anthrax spores were widely disseminated, including to homes, the Senate, and major newsrooms, resulting in morbidity and mortality and effectively disrupting our way of life and revealing our vulnerability. Even though such attacks had been the subject of much writing and had been planned for, detection of and the appropriate response to an attack with an agent from the so-called “Category ‘A’ List” had only been considered in theoretical terms. What transpired during the following difficult weeks, including how public health and federal government agencies performed, has been both praised and criticized. An intertwined epidemiologic and criminal investigation of such magnitude was unprecedented in U.S. history. To address the question of whether we as a nation are now better prepared for future threats involving biologic agents, it is important to learn from the lessons of the 2001 anthrax attacks, including the critical role of clinicians in surveillance. As physicians involved in diagnosing anthrax in the index case and alerting authorities, we offer our perspective on these events a decade after their occurrence.</span> http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleID=1033261 http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleID=1033264 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT Palmore TN, Henderson DK. <span class="paragraphSection">The articles by Bush and Perez and by Elkin and colleagues in this issue concern the role of clinicians and biosurveillance systems in detecting bioterrorism and emerging infections. The editorialists note that Bush and Perez's account of the anthrax attacks reminds us that “fortune favors the prepared mind.” Elkin and colleagues' study reminds us that the challenges for the next decade include learning how to select optimal biosurveillance systems and translate the information from these tools into concrete actions that improve public health.</span> http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleID=1033264