Case study : Italy

After the peak of interest in 2001, the threat of bioterrorism is now considered just one of the diverse risks Italy's society faces endangering public health. Without major investments, the effort has been to integrate existing resources, to implement tight links among national and supranational agencies and to make plans for their most efficient involvement in case of need. The mainstay for the response to a biological attack is represented by the public health system, entrusted to Italy's national health service, centrally coordinated but put into action by the Regions. The emerging threat of emerging infectious diseases and of bioterrorism has shown the need for a change in the education curricula of sanitary professions and for specific training of first line operators. Specific courses have been activated by universities and other bodies, but attendance has been limited by the lack of ad hoc funds. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.