Bioweapons

Imagine a terrorist without any guns or bombs. Would he or she be considered a real terrorist? The answer is yes; anyone who threatens or endangers the lives of others are terrorists, even those who utilize bacteria and viruses rather than other usual weapons. When people use biological weapons as terrorism, that act is called a bioterrorism. Unfortunately, this actions have been repeated throughout the history, as well as in modern days. They can in fact be far more dangerous than actual weapons.

Throughout the past, bioweapons have been used in wars. Such war strategies included throwing carcasses into the enemies' castles or forts, which caused terrible spread of diseases. As the world enters the modern age, these pathogens can be used more efficiently as a weapon. Countries such as United States, Russia, and Iraq are all participants in these dangerous competition of bioterrorism.

For United States, using biological weapons were primarily for defense from other countries. "Headquarters for research of bioweapons were established at Fort Detrick." (208) These research centers have been capable of increasing the hostility of a bacteria that causes anthrax. United States have also attempted creation of bubonic plague and tularemia bioweapons. U.S. scientists then became attentive on viral weapons, which are resistible to antibiotics. United States have grown viruses inside chick eggs as they need living cell to reproduce.

United States have no history of using bioweapons, but they once almost used them. They once planned to spray bacteria called Clostridium botulism during Cuban Missile Crisis, but they changed the plan to use a toxin called staphylococcal enterotoxin B and two germs of the name of encephalitis and a ricket...

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...ll a tough task because there are complex procedures to make the germs work efficient to kill. Still, bioterror events are deadly as finding vaccines and treatment would be difficult. A group called the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have set a future goal of finding a vaccine that can immunize people with multiple diseases and finding a detergents that can kill germs rapidly. Nevertheless, the public should realize the horrific outcome of bioterrorism if it occurs and they should be aware that it can occur anywhere and anytime. United States have created some new inventions of detecting pathogens' presences through use of microchip and battery-operated devices. Bioterrorism can also occur unknowingly so the public should notify the hospital if strange illnesses have come to place. Overall, we as human beings are not safe in this dangerous Earth.