Disease outbreaks – whether naturally occurring, or resulting from the unintentional or deliberate release of pathogens and/or toxins – can have significant consequences in terms of human, economic, environmental and material costs and put a serious strain on the state’s capacity to adequately respond to threats to public, animal or plant health. This paper aims to compare responses to natural, accidental and deliberate biological events. The author examines the characteristics of each type of biological event and reviews relevant international mechanisms for addressing disease outbreaks. The paper further examines the prerequisites for an effective disease response, regardless of whether the biological event has occurred naturally, is the result of an accident or has been caused deliberately.

Keywords
Accidental release – Capacity-building – Deliberate release – Disease – Disease response – Multisectoral approach – Natural – Pathogen – Response – Toxin.