WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. Republican Senator Bill
Frist warned on Thursday that biological terrorism remains a
serious threat to the country.
   "The risk is real. The risk is increasing. Our vulnerability
remains high," Frist, a transplant surgeon from Tennessee, said at
a briefing here.
   Describing last fall's anthrax attack on America as being "very
successful," Frist said that the attacker is still at large.
   More than 20 people became ill and five died of the anthrax
attack through mails. No arrests have been made though the Postal
Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offered a 2.
5 million U.S. dollars reward for information leading to the
arrest of the attacker.
   Frist claimed that between 11 and 17 countries either have
stockpiled biological weapons or have bioweapons programs,
including such threats as anthrax, botulinum toxin, tularemia,
smallpox, plague and ebola.
   He warned that nine out of 10 public health departments in the
U.S. are not ready to combat bioterrorism and as many as one-third
lack an Internet connection for fast communications.   Enditem