Could Smallpox Become the Next Biological Weapon
Biological Warfare: Could Smallpox Become the Next Biological Weapon?
Desmond J. Falls
American Military University
Abstract
This Paper is a study on biological weapons. It will touch on how and why they are manufactured. There is an emphasis on smallpox and whether it could be used as a weapon of mass destruction by terrorist in the near future. A brief history on smallpox and how it was previously used as a biological weapon will be detailed, along with facts from the World Health Organization (WHO). This paper will examine the necessity for a vaccination against the smallpox disease. It will state the facts about smallpox and how it can become a menace to society and cause affect as many as a nation and go undetected until it is too late.
Could Smallpox Become the Next Biological Weapon? Sometimes art imitates life, and then there are the times where life imitates the arts. In the movies the bad guys devise a plan and just before the unspeakable happens the hero comes along and saves the day. However in the real world this doesn’t always happen, there isn’t always a happy ending in a mere one-hundred and twenty minutes. Take for instance in 2001 there was a world-wide scare with the anthrax virus. Several people lost their lives. In the end a cure was found and the pandemonium calmed down. With terrorist planning the next terroristic act, who knows what’s next and when it will come to passage, bio-terrorist are always manufacturing biological weapons to use for mass destruction. Smallpox is a highly contagious and infectious disease that could be fatal if used as a bio-terroristic weapon. It has the potential to wreak havoc among unsuspecting nations. Biological weapons are organisms or toxins found in nature that are manufactured to either injure or kill people. They are a weapon of choice because of they are highly toxic, easily obtainable and inexpensive to construct (Dire). They are also sometimes referred to as agents. Numerous
Desmond J. Falls
American Military University
Abstract
This Paper is a study on biological weapons. It will touch on how and why they are manufactured. There is an emphasis on smallpox and whether it could be used as a weapon of mass destruction by terrorist in the near future. A brief history on smallpox and how it was previously used as a biological weapon will be detailed, along with facts from the World Health Organization (WHO). This paper will examine the necessity for a vaccination against the smallpox disease. It will state the facts about smallpox and how it can become a menace to society and cause affect as many as a nation and go undetected until it is too late.
Could Smallpox Become the Next Biological Weapon? Sometimes art imitates life, and then there are the times where life imitates the arts. In the movies the bad guys devise a plan and just before the unspeakable happens the hero comes along and saves the day. However in the real world this doesn’t always happen, there isn’t always a happy ending in a mere one-hundred and twenty minutes. Take for instance in 2001 there was a world-wide scare with the anthrax virus. Several people lost their lives. In the end a cure was found and the pandemonium calmed down. With terrorist planning the next terroristic act, who knows what’s next and when it will come to passage, bio-terrorist are always manufacturing biological weapons to use for mass destruction. Smallpox is a highly contagious and infectious disease that could be fatal if used as a bio-terroristic weapon. It has the potential to wreak havoc among unsuspecting nations. Biological weapons are organisms or toxins found in nature that are manufactured to either injure or kill people. They are a weapon of choice because of they are highly toxic, easily obtainable and inexpensive to construct (Dire). They are also sometimes referred to as agents. Numerous
References: Dire, Daniel J. Md.,” How Biological Agents Are Delivered and Detected”. Retrieved from: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/biological_warfare/article_em.htm, on 6/02/2012 Federation of American Scientist (2011)” Introduction to Biological Weapons”. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/programs/bio/bwintro.html Flight, Collette(2011)” Silent Weapon: Smallpox and Biological Warfare.” Olmendo, Ruben, Md.,(2001) ”History of Biological Warfare” GlobalSecurity.Org Pike,John. (2011) Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Retrieved from: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/intro/bio_smallpox.htm World Health Organization (WHO) (2001) “Smallpox” Retrived from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/smallpox/en/#