Bioterrorism is the intentional use of harmful
biological substances or germs to cause widespread illness and fear.
Biological agents include smallpox and anthrax and could potentially be
used for bioterrorism. Bioterrorism is different from chemical,
nuclear, or radiation warfare or attacks, which are ultimately designed
to cause immediate damage through the release of dangerous substances
into the air and surrounding environments. Biological, chemical,
and nuclear weapons have the same goals of wreaking destruction, but
unlike chemical and nuclear technologies, which are expensive to
create, biological weapons are relatively inexpensive. They are easy to
transport and resist detection by routine security systems.
A biological attack may not be recognized immediately by local public
authorities and the public alike because it is not usually signaled by
an explosion or other obvious cause. As a result, a biological
attack may take local health care workers time to discover that a
disease is spreading in a particular area.
Bioterrorism utilizes biological weapons and aims them against civilian populations for the purpose of undermining morale and creating chaos. They involve the use microorganisms and toxins to produce disease and death in humans, livestock, and crops.
Biological terrorism can result in illness minutes to
hours at the scene of release. For example, the release of sarin gas by
a religious sect in the Tokyo subway in 1995 killed 12 and hospitalized
5000 people. A biological weapon could ultimately result in the death
of thousands or perhaps even millions over a large area.
Bioterrorism
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Bioterrorism
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