Food chains and water sources should be protected. The control of rodents and insects should be a hygiene priority. Available biological detection equipment and decontamination equipment should be fielded. Attention to such preparatory measures will increase confidence and enable the BW threat to be met. Defensive measures should not be limited to the military population.
Civilian populations are unlikely to have any form of specialized protective equipment.
Moreover, civilian medical services do not routinely plan for biological warfare casualties. It is imperative that medical planning include coordination between military and civilian medical authorities in order to minimize casualties and prevent panic.