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Biological WMDs containing bacteria or viruses (but not toxins) can replicate once they are delivered. Even if only a small group of people is exposed in an attack, they could bring about the infection of a much larger group. If the attack is conducted against a civilian population, a subway system or other enclosed space in a densely populated urban area could easily be targeted. Some biological WMDs are extremely deadly; only ten grams of anthrax spores can kill as many persons as an entire ton of Sarin nerve agent. For these reasons and others, a biological attack would most likely be easy to deliver and extremely effective.

Many biological agents are highly susceptible to environmental degradation in both storage and application, making the stabilization an important issue as well as the delivery as the environment can deactivate an agent. High surface area at air-water interfaces (frothing), extreme temperatures or pressures, high salt concentrations, dilution, and exposure to specific agents can all reduce or decimate the bioactivity of an agent.

In order for a biological agent to be effective against its target population, must be dispersed in 1-10 micron particles and be inhaled. Some biological organisms can be killed by sunlight or by environmental factors, but most can be effectively stabilized against adverse environmental effects. Stress from explosive dissemination or missile firing can reduce efficiency.

The method of choice in optimal conditions for delivering biological agents is aerosolization, since the extreme physical conditions associated with detonation can completely inactivate the agent. Particle size and density can be controlled with aerosolization, which will protect the agents from environmental degradation and ensure the most effective results when the target population inhales the agents. If effectively administered, these agents can travel through the air for miles while remaining active.

There are other methods for spreading these agents as well. Some diseases are spread by fleas, mice, flies, mosquitoes, livestock, and other insects and animals, most notably the bubonic plague pandemic that ravaged Eurasia in the Middle Ages. Some biological organisms and toxins can thrive in food and water supplies, although these can usually be killed easily by boiling, cooking thoroughly, or flash- freezing. Biological agents can also be spread simply from one human to another.

How Biological Agents Are Delivered

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