Topic > A Terrifying Problem of Bioterrorism

In our world there are many large and large forms of terrorism and what we often forget is that there are other smaller forms of terrorism that we barely notice. They pose the greatest threat, are on the highest priority list of terrorist acts, and have the potential to kill the greatest number of people when issued. These acts are known as acts of bioterrorism. Bioterrorism is best described as: “deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or germs to cause disease or death in people, animals, or plants.” The elements used to create these weapons are sometimes found in nature, but scientists have found ways to alter and change their DNA and structure, making them highly indestructible and difficult to detect. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayBioterrorism has been around since 600 BC. Events and histories of countries attempting to use multiple methods to kill or poison the opposing party have been documented. One of the most common methods was to place a decaying animal in a well to create botulism and sometimes plague. When a party went to drink the water they would become infected and contract the disease. Under certain circumstances the disease would spread if somehow another person touched or drank the same water before the problem was detected. In 1346 the Tartars caught the plague and, once the first period of death had passed, they threw the corpses in the other city and began an endemic plague there too. The plague was the fastest-spreading bioterrorism recorded in the early 14th century. There are documented stories of countries during World War I and World War II using these methods to weaken defensive sides and gain territory. Bioterrorism has multiple ways to spread some of the most common beings, water, food and physical contact. As mentioned before, they are difficult to detect and it can take days for symptoms to begin to appear. After the symptoms appear, a period of 3-6 days is needed to be treated, otherwise the probability of death increases up to 60% more. The ways we can fight the resulting diseases are by using biodefenses, which are antibiotics and drugs specially formulated to fight each disease. These drugs are based on the three existing categories of bioterrorism. Category A: These are high priority and include organisms or toxins that pose the highest risk to public or national safety. They spread easily, are transmissible, have high mortality rates and require special attention due to the speed with which they act. Category B: They are the second highest priority. They do not spread as easily as category A ones, but they can still spread easily. Mortality rates are low, but require specially designed drugs and treatments if you contract a category B disease. Category C: This category includes diseases that could be used for mass poisoning and are readily available. They are easily produced and spread like wildfire. They produce high rates of morbidity and mortality due to morality. The history and categories of bioterrorism are certainly interesting, but what are some of these diseases that are used? Anthrax is one of the most commonly used bioterrorists we have today in our modern times. It is an infectious disease caused by bacteria in cattle, goats, sheep and pigs. There are three forms of anthrax; cutaneous, pulmonary and gastrointestinal. They can all be treated with antibiotics and is one of the diseases with the highest number of deaths, with approx.