Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the release of toxic biological agents. Common biological weapons are anthrax, botulism, plague, and smallpox. The plague has been one of the most devastating epidemics to mankind, second only to smallpox. Humans can become infected after being bitten by fleas that have fed on infected rodents. The plague develops rapidly and carries a high fatality rate despite immediate treatment and antibiotics. It has been used on various occasions because it’s difficult to detect and symptoms aren’t shown until several days. Bioterrorism is a serious threat, so knowing the precautions can be life saving.
The Plague and Bioterrorism
“A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs …show more content…
An estimate of 75 million lives were taken by the bubonic plague. The Black Death arrived in Europe by sea on October 1347 when 12 Genoese trading ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. Most of the sailors aboard the ships were dead and those who were still alive were gravely ill. They had a bad fever, were unable to keep food down, and were delirious from pain. Also, they were covered in mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus. The Sicilian authorities hastily ordered the fleet of death ships out of the harbor, but it was too late. Over the next five years, the mysterious Black Death would kill more than 20 million people in Europe, almost one-third of the continent’s population. People who were perfectly healthy when they went to bed at night could be dead by the next morning. Y. pestis could be found almost everywhere in Medieval Europe, but it was particularly at home aboard ships of all kinds. By the end of 1348, the Black Death had struck Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, and London. In the middle of the 14th century, there seemed to be no rational explanation for it. No one knew exactly how the Black Death was transmitted from one patient to another, or how to prevent and treat it. “Physicians relied on crude and unsophisticated techniques such as bloodletting, boil-lancing and superstitious practices which include burning aromatic herbs and bathing in rose water or vinegar” …show more content…
In fact, this bacteria has been used in various occasions. During World War ii, the Japanese military encased bubonic plague, smallpox, anthrax, and other diseases into bombs where they were often dropped on Chinese soldiers and noncombatants. The number of people killed by these experiments is 580,000. Who knows what plague can do today with modern technology. (Wiki Para 2)
Operation Cherry Blossom at
The Plague and Bioterrorism
“A bioterrorism attack is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs …show more content…
An estimate of 75 million lives were taken by the bubonic plague. The Black Death arrived in Europe by sea on October 1347 when 12 Genoese trading ships docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. Most of the sailors aboard the ships were dead and those who were still alive were gravely ill. They had a bad fever, were unable to keep food down, and were delirious from pain. Also, they were covered in mysterious black boils that oozed blood and pus. The Sicilian authorities hastily ordered the fleet of death ships out of the harbor, but it was too late. Over the next five years, the mysterious Black Death would kill more than 20 million people in Europe, almost one-third of the continent’s population. People who were perfectly healthy when they went to bed at night could be dead by the next morning. Y. pestis could be found almost everywhere in Medieval Europe, but it was particularly at home aboard ships of all kinds. By the end of 1348, the Black Death had struck Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, and London. In the middle of the 14th century, there seemed to be no rational explanation for it. No one knew exactly how the Black Death was transmitted from one patient to another, or how to prevent and treat it. “Physicians relied on crude and unsophisticated techniques such as bloodletting, boil-lancing and superstitious practices which include burning aromatic herbs and bathing in rose water or vinegar” …show more content…
In fact, this bacteria has been used in various occasions. During World War ii, the Japanese military encased bubonic plague, smallpox, anthrax, and other diseases into bombs where they were often dropped on Chinese soldiers and noncombatants. The number of people killed by these experiments is 580,000. Who knows what plague can do today with modern technology. (Wiki Para 2)
Operation Cherry Blossom at