and public concerns due to accounts in the popular press of killer germs. 7 The initial activities were aimed at regulation of biological agent transfers and training emergency responders in 120 cities—commonly referred to as the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici preparedness programme—and was aimed at overt chemical terrorism. 8,9 This focus has expanded to acknowledge and address the key role that public health will have in detection and management of a covert biological terrorist incident. Similar efforts to coordinate national contingency arrangements and successfully conclude negotiations over the protocol for verification of the Biological Weapons Convention are underway in the UK. 9