Washington ? President Bush signed into law Wednesday a measure designed to enhance America’s ability to prevent and respond to bioterrorist attacks, even as he warned of “quite a number of (terrorists) still out there.”

Bush said the bill will “allow us to respond … with state of the art medical care” in the event of a biological attack. He described such attacks as “a real threat to our country” and “potentially the most dangerous weapons in the world.”

President Bush listens to Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge at the Homeland Security Advisory Council meeting in Washington. Bush stopped by the inaugural meeting of the council Wednesday and made a few remarks. Ridge later briefed the entire House membership on the proposal to create a Homeland Security Department, and will follow up with senators today.

The bill-signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden came as federal investigators continued their probe into the alleged al-Qaida plot to detonate a radioactive bomb in the United States, a case that heightened concerns about domestic security. But Bush did not mention the case in his public remarks.

The new law seeks to bolster the preparedness of the public health system, improve protections for the nation’s food supply, expedite the development and production of vaccines and encourage better government coordination.

Specific provisions include expanding the nation’s stockpile of smallpox vaccines and providing grants to states to modernize equipment. Nearly 25 percent of local public health departments still have no e-mail capability, and fewer than half have high-speed Internet access.

The bill also will allow the hiring of more food inspectors.

The legislation which was approved by Congress with only a single dissenting vote, cast by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Tex. also would strengthen communications between front-line medical providers and public health officials.

“Biological attacks can be carried out quietly. Our health care professionals are likely to be the first to recognize that there has been an attack. The speed with which they detect and respond to a threat to public health could be the difference between containment and catastrophe,” Bush said.

The bill, when combined with funds already approved, raises the total authorized spending for anti-bioterrorism to more than $4.6 billion, with the precise amount to be set later in the year by Congress.

In his Rose Garden remarks, Bush recalled last year’s anthrax mail attacks, which remain unsolved but are believed to be of domestic origin.

“Last fall’s anthrax attacks were an incredible tragedy to a lot of people in America, and it sent a warning that we needed and have heeded,” he said. “We must be better prepared to prevent, identify and respond. And this bill I’m signing today will help a lot in this essential effort.”

Bush later convened his newly created Homeland Security Advisory Council, charged with advising the administration on the creation of a new homeland security department, as well as the overall counter-terrorism effort.

At the council’s first session, the president warned anew of the continuing threats of terrorist attacks in the United States.

Saying that worldwide the counter-terrorism coalition has “hauled in” some 2,400 terrorists, Bush added: “Problem is, there’s still quite a number of ’em still out there.”