ABSTRACT
Biological weapons can be understood as weapons designed to achieve their "intended target effects through the infectivity of disease-causing microorganisms and other such entities". The United States has been exposed to acts of bioterrorism on a small number of occasions over the course of its history. However, domestic US measures related to biosecurity and biosafety have come under scrutiny over the last couple of years with a number of high-profile incidents in US laboratories, suggesting there is more that can be done domestically to ensure biosafety and security. The category of CBW covers a range of different weapons and a spectrum of possible effects. There have been several cases where such weapons have been used in the United States by non-state actors, and many more US-based CBW terrorist plots appear to have failed or been foiled.
