Veterinarians in the Washington, DC region have been put on alert for any unusual illnesses in their non-human patients amid today's presidential inauguration—a nod to the significance of potential zoonotic bioterror threats.
In a recent letter to Virginia veterinarians, the state health department requested assistance in the "enhanced surveillance," while noting that, currently, there is no report of threats or bioterrorism-related illnesses.
"As with any large-scale public event, there will be heightened security, and the region will be on alert or signs of bioterrorism or other potential threats," the letter read. "Enhanced surveillance is being conducted out of an abundance of caution."