Biological warfare is one of the most dangerous forms of attack. Many organisms naturally replicate and spread, while others introduce lethal toxins. Biological warfare goes back to ancient civilizations.
Types of Biological Weapons
Bacteria: These single-celled organisms cause diseases like anthrax, plague, and tularemia. They're relatively easy to cultivate and disseminate. Ability to form spores makes them highly resistant to environmental conditions, and attractive as bioweapons.
Viruses: Tiny infectious agents requiring a host cell to replicate, viruses cause diseases like smallpox, Ebola, and influenza. Their rapid rate of mutation can make them difficult to treat and control.
Fungi: These organisms, including molds and yeasts, can cause respiratory illnesses, allergic reactions, and even toxin production in food crops, disrupting agriculture and food security.
Toxins: Produced by living organisms, toxins include botulinum toxin or Botox, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum; and ricin, from castor beans. These poisons causing paralysis, organ failure and death.
Entomological Warfare: Insects
One specific type of biological warfare is entomological warfare. It involves use of insects to deliver diseases or directly damage crops and infrastructure.
Insects can carry pathogens to humans, animals, or plants. Fleas can spread the black plague, mosquitoes transmit malaria or dengue fever, and ticks can carry Lyme disease.
Agricultural systems are vulnerable to insect attacks. Crop-damaging insects can be released to destroy an enemy's food supply, crippling the economy and weakening the population.
The tiny screwworm, maggot of the screwfly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), can devastate cattle herds. Unlike other maggots it eats the host's living tissue.
Biowarfare in History
In early times armies poison water supplies with dead animals or use diseases to undermine enemy forces. Rabbit fever among Bronze Age Hittites becomes a strategic advantage.
In the Middle Ages, plague-infected corpses catapulted over city walls spread disease and panic among defenders. During World War I, anthrax and other biological agents are developed for military use.
In World War II, when the US enters the war in 1941, it establishes a large research program and industrial complex in Maryland. Biological and chemical weapons developed during that period are tested in Utah.
Facilities are built for the mass production of anthrax spores, brucellosis, and botulism toxins. The war is over before these weapons can be used.
Also in World War II Japan releases plague-infested fleas across rural areas of China. Not all strikes work but if plague begins, it results in widespread disease, decimating the population and agricultural production.
Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night is a Japanese plan of bio warfare against cities in S. California. It's a response to US firebombing of Japanese cities, which kills hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians.
Aircraft are to be launched from I-400-class submarines to drop “bombs” with millions of plague-infested fleas. The planned date is 22 Sept 1945; but Japan announces intent to surrender 15 Aug, formalized 2 Sept 1945.
In the mid-20th century, the US Army cultivates 100 million yellow fever mosquitoes per week. The goal is to use them against enemy (possibly Soviet) troops.
Also during the Cold War the US military undertakes Project AGILE. The venture explores the use of red imported fire ants as a biological warfare agent.
Biological Warfare Today
Modern science has sophisticated techniques for weaponizing living organisms. Genetic engineering can create lethal microorganisms or microbe combinations to spread death and disaster.
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) prohibits the development, production and stockpiling of biological weapons. Still the threat remains real, due to ease of development and use of bioweapons.
The ability of many organisms to multiply and spread creates a chain reaction of illness and death difficult to control. The upswing in micro and nanorobotic technology brings new elements to the mix. Along with genetic engineering this make bioweapons viable and dangerous.
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