Abstract
The use of biological agents as an instrument of terror and warfare has been well documented. The appeal of biowarfare agents is attributed to their potential to kill or incapacitate exposed victims, availability, inexpensive production cost, low visibility, and relative ease of delivery. Advances in science and technology can also contribute to the development of novel and more deleterious agents and the proliferation of potential bioweapons that have regional and global security associations. This chapter focuses on three bacterial protein toxins that are included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) select agents and toxins list: botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), a Category A agent; staphylococcal enterotoxin, a Category B agent; and epsilon toxin from Clostridium perfringens, a Category B agent; and examines their potential as biological weapons. The beginnings of U.S. bioterrorism awareness and preventive and protective strategies, including the regulatory measures adapted by the federal government to thwart and palliate biological warfare (BW) threats, are also discussed.
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