DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Bioterrorists couldn’t choose a better state than Iowa to wreak havoc, according to a national report.

Trust for America’s Health released a study Tuesday that ranks New Hampshire, Iowa, Alabama and Alaska as the least prepared for bioterrorism and pandemics.

These states met two of 10 preparation goals. Delaware, South Carolina and Virginia ranked the highest with eight.

Among the report’s criticisms are that Iowa is unprepared to distribute vaccines in an emergency; that its hospitals can’t handle surges of critically sick people; and that it has insufficient labs to test for germs.

Iowa has enough lab scientists to test for anthrax or plague and has a plan to care for patients at non-health care facilities, the report states.

Trust for America’s Health is a nonpartisan group that uses grant money from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other foundations.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com

AP-ES-12-06-05 1838EST