A Defense Department review of biological threats released Thursday said the US military is at a “pivotal moment” in biodefense and must act urgently to address the potential of bioweapons and other catastrophic events, including pandemics, The Washington Post said, Ednews informs.
In particular, the review highlighted a growing threat posed by China as well as acute dangers emanating from Russia and persistent threats from North Korea, Iran and violent extremist organizations.
It also assesses that China, Russia, North Korea and Iran probably maintain the ability to create deadly toxins and pathogens, and that “advances in both synthetic biology and peptide synthesis could enable states to develop a wide range of novel toxins with both incapacitating and lethal effects.”