| Summary/Abstract |
In 2014, the world saw an unprecedented outbreak of Ebola that spanned several countries, including the United States. Considered a highly contagious, extremely virulent bioterrorism agent, the introduction of Ebola within U.S. borders uncovered myriad deficiencies in emergency response and preparedness, international travel policies and restrictions, and how the U.S. healthcare system handles such viral agents in infected individuals. This article explores the potential for the weaponization of Ebola, looking in particular at its plausibility for use in a bioterrorism attack. After describing the epidemiology of Ebola and its classification as a bioterrorism agent, this article examines the risk of the weaponization of Ebola and delineates the weaknesses identified in the ability of the United States to handle Ebola cases during the 2014 outbreak, which could be exploited by terrorists to effectively execute a bioterrorism attack.
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