Bioterrorism: Anthrax And Biological Warfare

Words: 1381
Pages: 6
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Connor Cart
Ms. George
Earth Science
5 September 2014
Bioterrorism
“Infectious diseases were recognized for their potential impact on people and armies as early as 600 B.C. The crude use of fifth and cadavers, animal carcasses, and contagion had devastating effects and weakened the enemy. Polluting wells and other sources of water of the opposing army was a common strategy that continued to be used through the many European wars, during the American Civil War, and even into the 20th century” (Riedel). The progress in technology and biochemistry over the past hundred years has simplified the development and the production of biological weapons. The wide availability of biological agents, genetic engineering and the desire of countries to have …show more content…
The germs then can spread to the blood, leading to shock and blood poisoning, which may lead to death” (Pezim). The food and drug administration produced an Anthrax vaccine for humans in 1970.
Germany also researched biological warfare, and other countries realized that this warfare could give them much military advantage. The British did their own studies on biowarfare. They actually produced Anthrax bombs to determine if the spores would survive an explosion. The British concluded that Anthrax spores not only survived the explosion, but could also survive for decades beyond that.
As our allies did, the United States responded to the efforts of Germany and Japan by developing an offensive research program. The United States had developed seven harmful and deadly agents, one of them being Anthrax. Bioweapons programs in the United States increased dramatically during the Cold War. The U.S. researched hundreds of different types of …show more content…
The goals of terrorists are to cause pain, weaken countries, and kill. It has existed since ancient times. With the advancement in technology and science, bioterrorism is a greater threat today than ever. Our country has made efforts defensively to protect its citizens, but can our government react in a timely manner in order to save American lives? I fear that if bioweapons hit home that many lives will be lost before a remedy can be put in place. Anthrax remains a dangerous threat around the world. I am very much against bioterrorism, and I do not agree with this kind of warfare. Staying cautious and alert is important because it could strike at any time and anywhere by terrorists from acroos the world. It is possible that the recent Ebola outbreak could turn into a weapon of bioterrorists. As a nation, we must stand strong and protect our people against bioterrorism.

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Works Cited
“Anthrax.” The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 2 September 2014. <www.britannica.com>.
“Attack by Inhalation Anthrax.” BBC News. University of UCLA. 15 October 2001. Web. 3 September 2014. <http://www.ph.ucla.edu>.
“History of Biowarfare.” Nova Online. February 2002. Web. 1 September 2014. <www.pbs.org>
“Is the U.S. Prepared for a Bioterror Attack.” Homeland Security Newswire. Pages 1-2. 11 July
2008. Web. 3 September 2014.
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