Bacterial Agents

Bacteria are unicellular organisms. Under special circumstances some types of bacteria can transform into spores.

The spore of the bacterial cell is more resistant to cold, heat, drying, chemicals and radiation than the vegetative bacterium itself. Spores are a dormant form of the bacterium and, like the seeds of plants, they can germinate when conditions are favorable.

Bacteria generally cause disease in human beings and animals by one of two mechanisms:

Invading host tissues
Producing poisons (toxins)

Many disease-causing bacteria utilize both mechanisms. The diseases they produce often respond to specific therapy with antibiotics. It is important to distinguish between the disease-causing organism and the name of the disease it causes.

This section covers bacterial agents considered to be potential bioterrorism threat agents:

Anthrax
Brucellosis
Glanders Plague
Q Fever
Tularemia