In the past, wars were fought combatatively with swords and cannons. With increased information and technology, guns, planes, and submarines were added to war efforts. This has increased the amount of destruction and number of casualties resulting from war within the combat zone. Scientific advances have also created drugs from naturally occurring chemicals and allowed us to harvest knowledge from organisms and their natural defense mechanisms. Up until now, the acquisition of information about microorganisms and other previously unexplored flora or fauna have helped humans in a positive manner. However, have you ever wondered what would happen if this kind of knowledge was turned against humans in the name of war?
The Journal of Pharmacy Practice explains that bioterrorism is the use biological toxins or infectious diseases as a weapon. Attacks could be as simple as distilling deadly strains of naturally occurring bacteria, making them airborne, and releasing them from a plane over a heavily populated area. Attacks could target food or water sources just as easily. The scary thing about these mechanisms of attack is that they can be used to target civilian populations and would be undetectable until the first people begin to die. At this point, a large portion of the population could already be infected if the pathogen is contagious.
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The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is determined to be as prepared as possible in the case that an attack occurs. They have protocols such as stockpiled medications and anti-toxins for possible agents that could be used. Some of the agents listed on the CDC website as potential offenders for bioterrorism include ricin, botulinum toxin, anthrax, hemorrhagic viruses, and shiga toxin.
Biological weapons not only leave behind great numbers of casualties, but also psychological trauma and an overall anxious society of survivors, as is explained in Elsevier’s Virus Research publication. The social and economic damage caused by such weapons is a main motive behind its use. Hopefully, we’ll never get to see such toxins used as weapons, because if we do, political, economic, and social chaos will definitely ensue.
