In 2003 the community has been faced with the emergence of two new infectious diseases, SARS and Anthrax. Whilst there were no cases of either disease in Australia, the threat of a possible outbreak had to be acknowledged and a response planned. Anthrax is not a new infectious disease. Humans can become infected with anthrax by handling products from infected animals or by breathing in anthrax spores from infected animal products (like wool, for example). People also can become infected with gastrointestinal anthrax by eating undercooked meat from infected animals. However, its manufacture and use as a weapon for bioterrorism forces us to rethink its management in a new context. These two infectious diseases have very different features from HIV which spreads only via transmission of infected bodily fluids such as blood or semen. SARS, by contrast is transmitted via droplets from infected cases which, as a result of coughing, carry the virus to close contacts [3] Thus, the infection profile of SARS requires planning for the possible overrun of Intensive Care Units and the likely infection of a number of ICU staff affecting both morale and capacity to cope. Anthrax raised different problems. These include the possible investigation of terrorist suspects alongside investigation of the outbreak of the infectious disease. Difficulties are also raised by likelihood of public panic, and the flooding of public health officials with reports of suspicious white powder.