Richard Preston

In the following viewpoint, Richard Preston argues that improvements to the public health system could help alleviate the consequences of a biological attack. In order to prepare for such an attack, claims Preston, doctors must be trained to diagnose the diseases caused by biological weapons, and antidotes to these diseases must be stockpiled. Preston is the author of The Cobra Event,a fictional account of a biological attack, and The Hot Zone,a nonfiction book that chronicles the outbreak of Ebola in Africa.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Preston, what would happen if anthrax were released into the air of New York City"

2. What steps should be taken to educate health care workers about biological weapons, in the author&rsquo...