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13.9: Bioterrorism

  • Page ID
    6743
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    "The world has definitely changed." This statement is common at times. What might it refer to?

    Bioterrorism is a threat against civilized people worldwide. To be prepared, all levels of government have developed and conducted terrorism drills. These include protecting responders from harmful biological substances.

    Bioterrorism

    Bioterrorism is the intentional release or spread of agents of disease. The agents may be viruses, bacteria, or toxins produced by bacteria. The agents may spread through the air, food, or water; or they may come into direct contact with the skin. Two of the best known bioterrorism incidents in the U.S. occurred early in this century:

    1. In 2001, letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to several news offices and two U.S. Senate offices. A total of 22 people were infected, and 5 of them died of anthrax.
    2. In 2003, a deadly toxin called ricin was detected in a letter addressed to the White House. The letter was intercepted at a mail-handling facility off White House grounds. Fortunately, the ricin toxin did not cause any illnesses or deaths.

    Summary

    • Bioterrorism is the intentional release or spread of agents of disease.

    Review

    1. Define bioterrorism.
    2. Research additional recent acts of bioterrorism.

    This page titled 13.9: Bioterrorism is shared under a CK-12 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by CK-12 Foundation via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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