Bioterrorism is a very high risk in the current worldwide political environment. Bioterrorism poses a great risk to national security, can be easily transmitted and disseminated, result in high mortality, have potential major public health impact, may cause public panic, or require special action for public health preparedness.

Bioterrorism is terrorism by intentional release or dissemination of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. A number of high-priority Category A agents, including Anthrax, Smallpox, Botulinum toxin, Bubonic plague, Viral hemorrhagic fever, Tularemia; as well as a variety of Category B and C agents that may be engineered for mass dissemination because of their availability, are easy to produce and disseminate, or may possess high mortality or a major health impact. These agents are typically found in nature, but it is possible that they could be changed to increase their ability to cause disease, make them resistant to current medicines, or to increase their ability to be spread into the environment. Biological agents can be spread through the air, through water, or in food. Terrorists may use biological agents because they can be extremely difficult to detect and do not cause illness for several hours to several days. Some bioterrorism agents, like the smallpox virus, can be spread from person to person and some, like anthrax, cannot.

To help resist this form of catastrophe, the Vivos shelters are designed to:

• Withstand chemical and biological weapons
• Decontaminate and cleanse persons suspected of exposure to biological or chemical substances