Implications of Antibiotic Resistance in Potential Agents of Bioterrorism

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health issue that restricts treatment options for many bacterial infections. Although biothreat agents such as Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia mallei, B. pseudomallei, Francisella tularensis and Yersinia pestis are usually susceptible to the recommended antimicrobial agents, there are naturally-occurring resistance mechanisms reported in several of these species, and the potential for release of genetically-engineered strains cannot be ruled out.