A Brief History of Biological Warfare and Bioterrorism

Theodore J. Cieslak; Rachel E. Lookadoo; Mark G. Kortepeter

doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-54841-0.00030-5

A Brief History of Biological Warfare and Bioterrorism

Theodore J. Cieslak, Rachel E. Lookadoo, Mark G. Kortepeter

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

Despite a seeming newfound interest in biological warfare and bioterrorism on the part of weaponeers and malign actors, these twin entities date back to prehistoric times. The development of “germ theory” in the late 1800s leant a degree of sophistication to primitive attempts to weaponize microbes and state-sponsored militaries as well as would-be terrorists have been attempting to perfect the use of these agents ever since. In this chapter, we explore the use of biological agents as weapons of war and terror. We also discuss the emergence of new pathogens, such as the Ebola virus, and their implications on future biodefense efforts.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Viral Outbreaks, Biosecurity, and Preparing for Mass Casualty Infectious Diseases Events
Publisher	Elsevier
Pages	25-32
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9780323548410
ISBN (Print)	9780323548427
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-54841-0.00030-5
State	Published - 1 Jan 2025
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Biological warfare
Bioterrorism
Category A agents

Access to Document

10.1016/B978-0-323-54841-0.00030-5

Cite this

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