A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).
Dear Colleagues,
we are pleased to inform you about this initiative by our CBRNe Master Directive Board Members Dr. Mariachiara Carestia and Dr. Stefania Moramarco that are Guest Editing the Special Issue “Emerging Biological Threats and Public Health Preparedness” published on the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [IJERPH] (IF: 2.849, ISSN: 1660-4601).
Emerging Biological threats include a wide range of issues that can severely affect Public Health.
The Covid-19 pandemics have sadly led many opinion leaders and subsequently, part of the public opinion, to wonder whether the virus was created ad hoc in the laboratory and deliberately spread in the environment, rather than started in Chinese “wet markets”. Regardless of its origin, the pandemic caused several social and political tensions and showing, once more, that the dissemination of correct information based on scientific evidence is key to building a sound capability to react to biological emergencies.
Another relevant issue is that of the potential use of biological agents as terrorism agents is an intrinsically complex matter, as demonstrated by the unsuccesfull attempts to fully implement a shared regime of verification and prohibition of the production of biological weapons through the Biological Weapons Convention, unlike what happens with the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Treaty for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Although the etiology of these emerging and re-emerging biological threats may be different, recent facts show us that the first and most effective line of defense in the fight against epidemics/pandemics or potential acts of bioterrorism remains the ability of public health to intercept and identify the onset of such potential events, as well as the full awareness of public health capacity and capabilities and the optimization of their management, to deal with such events as well as the ability to operate synergically at local, national, and supranational levels.
This Special Issue analyses the phenomenon from three distinct yet related perspectives, to identify priorities for future next steps in each of these areas:
Emerging biological threats, including those related to climate change, food safety and security and Bioterrorism and their social and economic impact on Public Health
Innovative, fast, and effective methods for the rapid detection/identification of biological agents and bio forensics;
Needs, gaps and proposals to increase awareness and preparedness concerning response to newborn biological emergencies of public health organizations.
- Dr. Mariachiara Carestia
- Dr. Lucia Grenga
- Dr. Omar Nyabi
- Dr. Stefania Moramarco
Guest Editors
Authors submitting a paper presented during CBRNe SICC Series 2020 will benefit from a 20% reduction on the article publication charge.
We wish them good luck with the Special Issue “Emerging Biological Threats and Public Health Preparedness”!
Submission deadline: September 30, 2021
For more information on the Special Issue you can contact Dr. Mariachiara Carestia (mariachiara.carestia@uniroma2.it) or visit: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/Public_Health_Preparedness
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