Present-Day Menaces and Challenges in the Sphere of Biological Safety and Strategy of Countermeasures

Considered is present-day nomenclature of menaces in the sphere of biological safety in the frames of broad-sense representation of this concept associated with infectious diseases. By the example of Ebola fever epidemic in West Africa, demonstrated is the fact that actual, new and spreading in the new territories infectious diseases which are attributed to the category of acute menaces, can create emergency situation in the sphere of biological safety. Such situation presents traits of unexpectedness, explosive growth of morbidity, high number of cases among health workers, high lethality, unpreparedness of the society for countermeasures (monitoring, treatment, prophylaxis, and control), severe social and economical consequences, indirect signs of probability of its intended origin, real menace for biological safety of the whole global community. Presented are variants of menaces that manifested as long-lasting (chronic) epidemics and pandemics (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria) which have the highest social and economical impact. Considered is nomenclature of menaces that broaden the toolkit of biological terrorism means. The strategy of countermeasures implies systemic approach to prevention and response to acute menaces, reducing of social and economical consequences of their realization, thus achieving more effective control over aforementioned long-lasting problems, strict adherence to BTWC provisions.