Proliferation of biological weapons: challenges and responses.

The threat posed by the proliferation of biological weapons (BW) confronts all strata of our society, from the individual, the nation, or the region to the truly international. The history of state-run offensive BW programmes and the attacks in the United States with powdered anthrax demonstrate that existing measures fall short of addressing this threat. This article examines the current regime and the concerns that confront it in order to suggest possible responses across the social strata that may mitigate future proliferation of BW.