Austin's bioterrorism detection program on shaky ground due to federal cuts, APH says

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A program intended to detect bioterrorism may come to a halt in Austin, the city's health department told Travis County Commissioners in a recent meeting.

BioWatch is an early warning system designed to detect the release of bioterrorism agents through sensors placed in certain major cities. It was created in 2003, after the anthrax scare at federal buildings, KXAN previously reported.

In 2017, we reported that Austin was one of the cities using the program.