Biocrisis - Defining Biological Threats in U.S. Policy

This book examines the recent intersection of national security and public health regarding biological threats to the U.S. populace and proposes improvements to the executive and legislative development of U.S. policy addressing biological threat mitigation.

Over the last 20 years, the national security community has engaged with disease-related issues that have traditionally been the scope of public health agencies. The federal government's response has been to create a single national biodefense strategy, which has been largely ineffective in improving conditions due to poor terminology, a lack of leadership, and a failure to assess government programs.

Applying a public policy framework, Albert J. Mauroni examines how the government addresses biological threats-including disease prevention, bioterrorism response, military biodefense, biosurety, and agricultural biosecurity and food safety. He proposes a new approach to countering biological threats, arguing that lead agencies should focus on implementing discrete portfolios with annual assessments against clear and achievable objectives.

List of contents

Illustrations
Acronyms
Preface
1. Anatomy of a Crisis
2. The Problem Is Political
3. U.S. Health Care Is a Huge Creature
4. National Security Concerns about Biological Threats
5. Building a Strategy for Disease Prevention
6. Bioterrorism Was Always Misunderstood
7. Biodefense: Underappreciated and Largely Ignored
8. Biosurety-the Public's Biggest Fear?
9. Making the Term "Biosecurity" Relevant Again
10. Creating a New Norm
Notes
Glossary
Index

About the author

Al Mauroni is a defense consultant in the Washington, DC area. He has more than 20 years of experience in military chemical and biological defense issues. His published works include the first edition of ABC-CLIO's Chemical and Biological Warfare.

Product details

• Authors: Albert Mauroni, Albert J. Mauroni
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 08.04.2022
• EAN: 9781440878879
• ISBN: 978-1-4408-7887-9
• No. of pages: 296
• Dimensions: 234 mm x 164 mm x 22 mm
• Weight: 580 g
• Series: Praeger Security International
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection, HISTORY / Military / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Environmental Policy, military history, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Military Policy, HISTORY / Military / Biological & Chemical Warfare, Warfare & defence, Warfare and defence, Central / national / federal government policies, Environmental policy & protocols, Central government policies, Chemical & biological weapons, Chemical and biological weapons, Environmental policy and protocols