September 11, 2001, did more to the American consciousness than make us aware that we are vulnerable to something as heinous as hijacked airplanes being crashed into densely populated office buildings. The September 11 attacks also brought with them the realization that if terrorists want to strike a blow against this country, there are a variety of approaches they might take, including the use of our own animals as weapons. That concern was underscored with the anthrax attacks on humans that occurred in late 2001. The anthrax attacks killed five people and sickened 13 others as well as spreading terror throughout the country.

Today, veterinarians and food-health professionals across the country are mobilizing to protect this nation’s animals and crops from terrorist attacks. Leading the way in this mobilization is the National Animal Health Emergency Management Systems (NAHEMS), a federal steering committee that includes in its membership the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Concerns regarding animal health center around two basic types of diseases–non-zoonotic and zoonotic. Non-zoonotic diseases are not transmissible to humans. Zoonotic, on the other hand, refers to diseases that are transmissible from animals to man under natural conditions. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease.

Richard Carmona, MD, surgeon general for the United States, gave this chilling assessment during a Jan. 17, 2003, speech to 125 veterinarians representing 46 states at a special gathering in Orlando, Fla.: “Of the 1,600 pathogens known to infect humans, about one-half are zoonotic. That puts veterinarians on the front lines of detection of biological weapons of mass destruction