In the field of biological weapons, there is almost no prospect of detecting a pathogen until it has been used in an attack.

First developed as a weapon by the U.S. Army, VX is an oily, odorless and tasteless liquid that kills on contact with the skin or when inhaled in aerosol form. Like other nerve agents, it is treatable in the first minutes after exposure but otherwise leads swiftly to fatal convulsions and respiratory failure.

Governors normally have jurisdiction over public health emergencies, but a widespread biological attack would cross state boundaries.

Barton Gellman Quotes