Biological warfare

Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of any organism (Bacteria, viruses, toxins found in nature or any other disease-causing substance) as a weapon of war. It is meant to incapacitate or kill people. It may also be defined as the deployment of biological agents to create causalities in man or animals and damage plants or material; or defence against such deployment. The creation and stockpiling of biological weapons was outlawed by the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), signed by over 100 countries. The BWC remains in force. Enough, the convention prohibits only creation and storage, but not usage, of these weapons. However, biological warfare is of little military use. As a tactical weapon, the main military problem with a biological warfare attack is that it would take days to be effective, and therefore, unlike a nuclear or chemical attack, would not immediately stop an opposing force or invading forces. As a strategic weapon, biological warfare is again not used by the military, because it is difficult to prevent the attack from spreading, either to allies or to the attacker, and while an attack is taking effect, the opponent can undertake massive retaliation.

Bioterrorism

Bioterrorism is using germ warfare, an intentional human release of a naturally-occurring or human modified toxin or biological agent.

These are biological agents with both a high potential for adverse public health impact and that also have a serious potential for large-scale spread. The Category A agents are anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulin, tularaemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers.