'Millions at bioterror risk'

'Millions at bioterror risk'

Fears are growing of a bioterror attack

"Hundreds of millions" of people could be at risk of bioterrorist attacks if scientists are not "policed", an expert has warned.

Dr John Steinbruner, a US international security policy expert, says a body must be set up to regulate who has access to "highly consequential" research into biotechnology.

He will warn a meeting of the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Friday that if action is not taken, terrorists could take advantage.

Dr Steinbruner told BBC News Online if the threat was not taken seriously now: "It could mean hundreds of millions of people being at risk."

You would get an agent that could be lethal to a huge number of people

Dr John Steinbruner, University of Maryland

His warning came as UK researchers said NHS staff did not know what they should do in the event of a bioterror attack.

A survey of doctors at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital, published in the British Medical Journal found only 11 out of 77 knew what their role would be.

The researchers said they suspected their findings were "not unique" to that hospital.

But the Department of Health said conclusions could not be drawn in relation to the level of awareness across the NHS.

'Technical possibility'

Dr Steinbruner, based at the University of Maryland, said the speed at which science was progressing meant existing pathogens (harmful organisms) could be adapted to be more lethal.

He said "There's no pathogen at the moment that is the best at all things, at transmission, infection and lethality.

"But it's not hard to imagine that you could, say, take the most effective spreader and make it more lethal and infectious.

"Then you would get an agent that could be lethal to a huge number of people."

He added: "This is not an immediate threat - no one's going to do it next week. But it is a technical possibility."

He said it would be prudent to get regulation in place.

Dr Steinbruner said scientists involved in research which could be used to design bioterrorist weapons should report to an international, independent scientific commission.

He said not reporting to the body should be seen as an criminal offence, to ensure compliance.

'Only defence'

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the British Medical Association said: "It is important to understand why some states or terrorist groups use biological weapons.

"They do so precisely because physical infrastructure is unaffected and because they are cheap to produce and disperse.

"The only real defence against biological warfare is to prevent these weapons being produced in the first place."