Health officials fear many health professionals aren't ready for bioterror threats

ATLANTA - They are required to quickly sleuth out the world&#39;s most insidious and silent killers using both detective work and some of the world&#39;s most complex technology. <br> <br> Yet health officials say many public health professionals lack the formal training needed to effectively tackle the threats of the 21st century: emerging diseases and potential bioterrorist threats. <br> <br> The 2001 anthrax attacks created a blessing and a curse for the public health profession by making the public more aware of the need for public health services. <br> <br> The director of public health programs and services for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Doctor Ed Thompson, said now that they are aware, they demand equality. <br> <br> Thompson said, ``The public&#39;s expectations are that we in public health will perform our function. They have the right to expect a well-trained and credentialed work force.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> As a result, health officials are looking to other professions, such as education, for guidance on how to standardize training in the field by credentialing public health workers. Public health officials from across the country gathered last week at a CDC-sponsored conference in Atlanta. <br> <br> Advocates say uniform, nationwide standards would ensure public health workers have the necessary skills to protect the public. Thompson said credentialed workers would allow the CDC to recruit quality workers from state and local agencies. But others say regions and states should create standards that fit localized needs.