What is bioterrorism?
Bioterrorism is the use of biological agents, such as pathogenic organisms or agricultural pests, for the expressed purpose of causing death or disease, to instill a sense of fear and panic in the victims as well as to intimidate governments or societies for political, financial, or ideological gain.
Bioterrorism is a form of terrorism which involves the deliberate introduction of biological agents into an environment or community for the purpose of causing widespread disease and panic. Like other acts of terrorism, bioterrorism is meant to create chaos and undermine morale, and it can be performed by a single individual, a terrorist organization, or even a state actor which wishes to use terrorist tactics to advance political goals. As human knowledge of disease has expanded, the risk of bioterrorism has radically increased, especially since several unstable nations have reserves of biological agents which could potentially be appropriated and used by terrorist groups. This form of terrorism is distinct from biological warfare. Although both involve the release of biological agents, biological warfare occurs on or around the battlefield during a recognized military conflict. Terrorism, by its nature, is separate from a legitimate military conflict, and it involves asymmetrical tac
The term “bioterrorism” refers to specific infectious agents that have been or can be used as terrorist weapons. If germs or toxins from smallpox, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, or viral hemorrhagic fevers were used to intentionally infect people, they would cause illness and death. Bioterrorism, as the term is more generally used, also includes chemical and biological agents, such as Sarin gas (a nerve agent), Ricin (poison made from castor bean processing waste), “dirty” bombs (small bombs that contain radioactive materials) and nuclear terrorism.
