ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the nature of the anthrax pathogen, including the characteristics of its endospore form, the types of infection it may cause, the difficulties of differential diagnosis, the role of the exotoxins secreted by anthrax bacteria, and the presence and occurrence of anthrax disease worldwide. It art provides a strategic overview of the parameters of the threat that are the most relevant to United States Homeland Security – which both prospective agents of bioaggression and those defending against them will typically consider. Weaponization is difficult, in light of the need to provide for the aerosolization of the bacteria to maximize effectiveness for the attacker. This requires producing a powdery substance with the spores separated and concentrated sufficiently to produce particles with neutral surface charge. The chapter also considers the impact of two developments, the ongoing biotechnological revolution and the spread of antimicrobial resistance, on the threat posed by Bacillus anthracis.
