Smallpox, if used as a weapon, would be a serious threat because:
it is spread through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, laughs, or coughs
it can also be spread by infected clothing or bed linens
it can spread in any climate or season
there is no treatment or cure
few doctors would know smallpox if they saw it
people who survive it are left with ugly scars on their bodies or face, and some become blind
30% or more of people who contract smallpox die
Smallpox devastated the American population in the 1700s (see Elizabeth Fenn's book, Pox Americana, for the details). Anyone who knows about it fears it. Once a few cases were reported in the media there would be widespread concern, even pan