During the first 48–72 hours of a bioterrorist attack using pathogenic microbes, the immune system will be our primary means of defense against potentially fatal disease. This chapter looks at the pathogens identified by the CDC as most likely to be used as bioweapons — anthrax, plague, smallpox, botulin toxin, tularemia, and Ebola-like viruses — and what is known of the human immune response to them. Progress in enhancing our ability to deal with these pathogens is also discussed, in particular strategies that go beyond standard vaccines.
Keywords: anthrax, plague, small pox, humanized antibodies, innate immunity, Ebola, bioweapons,