About this episode
Wildlife forensics expert Ken Goddard discusses emerging viral threats and biological warfare scenarios in this remarkably prescient conversation about pandemic preparedness and biosecurity. As director of the National Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Goddard brings unique expertise to analyzing how pathogens spread through animal populations and potentially cross species barriers to infect humans. The discussion covers the deliberate or accidental release of engineered viruses, the vulnerability of modern transportation systems to rapid disease spread, and the inadequacy of public health infrastructure to handle major biological emergencies. Goddard explains how his work investigating wildlife crimes has revealed concerning patterns in animal disease outbreaks that could have implications for human health and national security. The conversation explores the potential for hostile nations or terrorist groups to weaponize naturally occurring or genetically modified viruses as tools of warfare or terrorism. Goddard's forensic expertise provides unique insights into how biological threats could be deployed, detected, and traced back to their sources through scientific investigation. This episode proves remarkably prophetic in its analysis of pandemic scenarios, discussing threat models and response challenges that would later manifest during actual disease outbreaks. The conversation demonstrates how wildlife disease monitoring serves as an early warning system for potential human health emergencies.