Kathleen Joyce DImacali

BSN-4

Bioglogical Warfare
Biological warfare (BW)—also known as germ warfare—is the use of biological toxins
or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, insects, and fungi with the intent to kill
or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. Biological weapons (often
termed "bio-weapons", "biological threat agents", or "bio-agents") are living
organisms or replicating entities ( i.e. viruses, which are not universally considered
"alive"). Entomological (insect) warfare is a subtype of BW.

Biological warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare, chemical warfare and radiological
warfare, which together with biological warfare make up CBRN, the military
initialism for nuclear, biological, radiological, and chemical warfare using weapons of
mass destruction (WMDs). None of these are considered conventional weapons,
which are deployed primarily for their explosive, kinetic, or incendiary potential.

Biological weapons may be employed in various ways to gain a strategic or tactical

advantage over the enemy, either by threats or by actual deployments. Like some
chemical weapons, biological weapons may also be useful as area denial weapons.
These agents may be lethal or non-lethal, and may be targeted against a single
individual, a group of people, or even an entire population. They may be developed,
acquired, stockpiled or deployed by nation states or by non-national groups. In the
latter case, or if a nation-state uses it clandestinely, it may also be considered
bioterrorism.

Biological warfare and chemical warfare overlap to an extent, as the use of toxins
produced by some living organisms is considered under the provisions of both the
Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Toxins and
psychochemical weapons are often referred to as midspectrum agents. Unlike
bioweapons, these midspectrum agents do not reproduce in their host and are
typically characterized by shorter incubation periods.

The use of biological weapons is prohibited under customary international

humanitarian law, as well as a variety of international treaties.The use of biological
agents in armed conflict is a war crime.

Bioterrorism

Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of

biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi, or toxins, and
may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form, in much the same way in
biological warfare. Further, modern agribusiness is vulnerable to anti-agricultural
attacks by terrorists, and such attacks can seriously damage economy as well as
consumer confidence.The later destructive activity is called agrobioterrorism and is
subtype of agro-terrorism.
 bioterrorism is defined as the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria or other agents
used to cause illness or death in people, and also in animals or plants . Bioterrorism
aims to create casualties, terror, societal disruption, or economic loss, inspired by
ideological, religious or political beliefs. It is carried out by terrorists, also called non-
state actors. Usually, terrorists seek to achieve their goal through terror, caused by
violence. Bioterrorism may also cause this terror. The 2001 series of anthrax letters
contaminated hundreds if not thousands of people, but caused only a few casualties.
However, the impact of this attack is still felt today, through the number of powder
letters and suspicious packages regularly sent to public offices. Also, there are
apocalyptic groups such as Aum Shinrikyo that actually seek to cause mass casualties
to further their own goals. Terrorists operate within the borders of a nation that may
seek to destroy them. The need to operate below the law enforcement detection
threshold and with relatively limited means severely hampers their ability to
develop, construct and deliver a successful biological attack on a large scale. On the
other hand, success for most of them will most likely be defined by the amount of
societal disruption and panic, and not necessarily by the sheer number of casualties.
Thus, making even only a few individuals ill by using crude methods may be
sufficient, as long as it creates the impact that is aimed for. The assessment of
bioterrorism threats and motives has been described before

Bioterrorism Reflection

Bioterrorism is a weapon used by terrorism to attack one’s nation mostly in

agriculture because it affects in agribusiness. They used biological agents against
livestock, fish, vegetation, and crops, also in the access to the water supply systems,
tunnels, and infrastructure. Causing illness or death in people, and also in animals or
plants . Bioterrorism aims to create casualties, terror, societal disruption, or
economic loss, inspired by ideological, religious or political beliefs.