In the post-cold war era, the former Soviet Union admitted to having enough anthrax on hand to kill every person on the planet several times over. The accidental aerosolized release of anthrax spores from a military microbiology facility in Sverdlovsk in the former Soviet Union in 1979 resulted in at least 79 cases of anthrax infection and 68 human deaths and demonstrated the lethal potential of anthrax aerosols. Members of Aum Shinrikyo, the group responsible for the 1995 Tokyo sarin attack, reportedly experimented with biological agents in Japan before resorting to chemical agents. Fortunately, no one was injured in these events. Biological agents can be dispersed in many ways, ranging from simple spray devices to ballistic missiles.
Biological agents are often hard to detect.
Symptoms are delayed. And without preventive medical efforts, such as vaccination, the results can be devastating and widespread. An anthrax aerosol would be odorless, invisible, and capable of traveling many miles. The threat of biological warfare has been a risk to U.S. forces for many years. DoD analysts maintain an updated evaluation of the level of threat, adjusting the information as necessary to reflect the risk to U.S. operations.