Bioterrorism refers to the use of disease causing agents by terrorists to harm people. It could also be called biological warfare.

So far, no major case of bioterrorism has occurred. But the threat remains, as theoretically it is very easy to incur huge damage through biological warfare.

Agents and Diseases of Biological Warfare

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has identified some agents and diseases which can be used by terrorists to do harm. These are often referred to as bio-weapons. Here are some of them.

Anthrax: Anthrax is caused by a bacterium called Bacillus Anthracis. It is a very dangerous disease. It can be spread in the form of powder, as the bacterium forms spores.
In 2001 in the U.S, 22 people were infected with anthrax when the opened mail containing anthrax infected powder.

Plague: Plague is caused by a bacterium called Yersinia Pestis. The bacterium is usually found in rodents. A person infected with plague bacteria does not get sick immediately. So, he/she will travel around a lot and infect a lot of other people before becoming sick. That is why plague is dangerous. Plague bacteria can be grown in the lab, so it can be used as a bio-weapon. But the terrorists would need advanced technology.

Cholera: Cholera often is a mild disease. But it can turn severe, in which case a person would die within hours without treatment. Cholera can be easily spread by contamination of food or water.

E. coli and salmonella: These are food borne bacteria which cause various diseases. They can be used to do simultaneous damage to in many areas. They also affect an essential ingredient of human life – food.

Arenaviruses: This is a name given to a group of viruses which cause various types of diseases. Rodents usually carry them.

Some other agents and diseases used as bio-warfare are Botulism, viral hemorrhagic fevers, viral encephalitis, small pox, typhoid etc.

If you suspect that there is a bioterrorist attack in progress in your surroundings, please inform the authorities. You may help save a lot of lives.