ABSTRACT
The agents most likely to be used as biological weapons produce illnesses that have not been commonly seen in the United States in the past 40 or more years. Therefore, educating primary care providers to recognize these rare and at times difficult to diagnose illnesses is paramount. This requires a philosophical shift to thinking of ‘‘horses and zebras’’ when we hear hoofbeats. Most of these agents begin as nonspecific illness that may be confused with common infections seen on a daily basis. Recognition of a biological attack will depend on identification of unusual pathogens or large numbers of patients who present similar and often life-threatening infections. This chapter reviews the background of the current concerns of bioterrorism, the pathogens most likely to be used in an attack, and safety issues for health care workers. Internet resources to help the clinician stay current are listed in Table 1.
