Bioterrorism

Although a terrorist or criminal may seek to use a number of infectious pathogens or toxins to cause illness or disability of humans, certain pathogens have properties that make them potentially better suited to cause large numbers of casualties when released on a population. These properties include the ability to be grown in large quantities, stability in the air, stability for storage, and ease of infection by the aerosol route. Of these potential pathogens or toxins, six have been deemed the highest potential threats if utilized properly: anthrax, smallpox, plague, tularemia, botulism, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. This chapter discusses these specific agents.