BIOTERRORISM

Bio-Terrorism(Biological Warfare)is the use of microbes as weapons to infect enemies,their water supply and food, causing them to become sick or die and unable to fight, resulting in victory.This is an effective method as microbes reproduce very fast and only a small dose of them is needed to cause disease. Biological weapons are cheap and can spread over a large area than chemical weapons.

HISTORY

Biological weapons have been used for hundreds of years, and not only recently developed. The Mongols used such weapons when they besieged the port of Kaffa in the Mediterranean Sea.The Mongols were struck with bubonic plague and when retreating, catapulted the bodies of their dead comrades into the city, causing an outbreak of plague.The British, noting that the American Indians were not immune to smallpox, purposely sent blankets used by smallpox patients, causing most of the indians to die.The Spanish conquerors of Latin America were greatly outnumbered by the Aztecs but finally overcame them.This is because some Spanish soldiers had measles and smallpox, which the Aztecs had not seen before, thus not immune.This caused the Aztecs to die in largew numbers, enabling the Spanish to win them.

In modern times, the Japanese were the first to use biological weapons.They tested bubonic plague on prisoners and releases plagu-infested rats in China.The British test-fired anthrax spores on an island in World War II, causing it to be contaminated even now.The Americans and the Soviets, in the Cold War also developed such weapons.

AGENTS

Biological weapons come in many forms.The ones described below are those that are the most effective.

Viruses-Viruses such as Ebola can spread easily and is 90% fatal, other viruses like influenza can spread easily among people and causes severe muscle aches which will cripple an army.Hantaviruses and encephalitis viruses can also cripple the army and uses only mosquitoes and rats to spread them.Smallpox which is to be eradicated could be stolen and it spreads very easily too.

Bacteria-As described in the history section, anthrax spores can be used to infect an army.The spore survive for a very long time and anthrax spore breathed in can quickly cause a fatal disease.Bubonic plague,typhus can be spread by fleas which can spread easily in crowded war conditions.Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae which causes severe diarrhea, can be used to poison the enemies' water supply.Toxins produced by bacteria like tetanus and botulism can cause paralysis in only small doses.

Left to right(Vibrio cholerae(causes cholera), Ebola virus and Plague bacillus which can be used as biological weapons)

CONCLUSION

From the above, you will learn that biological weapons are more effective than nuclear or chemical weapons.It is cheap and effective and easy to transport. Hence there is a danger of such weapons being used in war, espcially those which are incurable,i.e: Ebola. In the event such a weapon is used, there will be panic as medicine and doctors cannot cater to the large numbers of people infected. Scientists are now working to find quick ways to detect such weapons. But time will tell whether such a weapon will be used again.