Bioterrorism is designed to inflict terror on a large number of people with biological agents. Many of these biological agents produce significant skin changes, adding to the sensationalism and inflicting fear. In the event of an attack, not only would people get sick, but they and others would also be able to see the results of the disease.
Selection of Biological Agents
Biological agents most likely to be used in bioterrorsim are selected primarily because they can produce mass casualties likely to overwhelm the health care system of one or more communities. While almost any pathogenic agent can be used in bioterrorsim, the agents most likely used will be characteristically virulent and capable of producing high morbidity and mortality rates.
The Challenge of Bioterrorism
Biological weapons are a formidable challenge. The use of a bioagent as a weapon is a multidimensional problem because of the diversity of bioagents, the large number of vulnerable targets, and the varied routes of dissemination. Terrorists using biological warfare can decimate a large population, inflict enormous psychological and economic hardship, and incite political unrest by merely attacking small populations in multiple sites over a long period of time.
Characteristics of a Biological Weapon
Biological agents for bioterrorism exhibit specific characteristics required of a bioweapon. Perhaps most importantly, they must be able to be "weaponized," that is, packaged and distributed in a manner that can infect the broadest area with the least damage to the organism during release. They should be stable and infectious in aerosols, making distribution efficient. Most of the civilian population is susceptible to infection caused by these agents, and they clearly produce high morbidity and mortality rates. Person-to-person transmission is associated with agents of smallpox, pulmonary plague, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. In addition, the resulting illness is usually difficult to diagnose and treat early, particularly in areas where the disease is rarely seen.
Bioterrorism Threat Assessment
The assessment of the threat is a combined function of the perceived adversary's capability to produce and effectively disseminate biological agents, his intent to do so, and our own vulnerability to such an action. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a list of Critical Biological Agents. Criteria used to develop this list include:
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The severity of impact on public health and person-to-person transmissibility
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The potential for delivery as a weapon
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The need for special preparation requirements such as vaccine and medication stockpiling or special laboratory detection techniques
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The ability to generate fear or terror in a population
