Biological Weapon

Biological Weapon the use of biological substances intended to cause harm, disable or even kill humans, animals or plants as a war act is known as biological weapon (bioweapon). The weapons can be either biological toxins (eg botulinum, ricin, etc) or disease-causing infectious agents like bacteria (eg, plague, anthrax, or Q fever), viruses (smallpox, hepatitis, etc.), insects and fungi. Biological weapon can also be called germ warfare. More than 180 pathogens have been identified as biological weapons. Biological warfare and warfare differ from each other in the sense that the latter involves other types of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), including nuclear warfare, chemical warfare, etc. Biologically created weapons may be either lethal or non-lethal, and their target varies from a group of people to an entire population. Lethal biological weapons may have the capacity to kill masses; however, they are incapable of causing massive destruction of buildings, infrastructure, or equipment.The outcome of bioweapon usage may range from minor to severe depending on the agent itself, its method of development, its durability in the environment, and the route of infection. Bioweapons can be developed, procured, stored or deployed by nations, states, non-national groups or bioterrorists, and may spread via aerosol sprays, food or water, explosive devices, and absorption or injection into the skin.

Some essential features of bioweapons are (i) efficiency: a drop of botulinum toxin can wipe out a population; (ii) cost-effective: biological weapons are more cheap than chemical and nuclear weapons as desired amount of bacteria or viruses can be conveniently grown in the lab; (iii) easy to deliver even by post-without the targets being aware as done during 2001 Anthrax attack; (iv) unpredictable: airborne toxic substances, for instance, may spread out to non-target areas, causing harm to own troops or people; (v) long-term effect: anthrax can exist in soil for about 50 years allowing possibility of unwanted side effects of infecting anybody coming in contact; (vi) effectiveness: continuous research must be carried out to check the extent of efficacy of the biological weapon.

Some potential biological weapons are (i) Anthrax bacteria causing inhalation septicemia, and flu-like symptoms ; (ii) Clostridium botulinum through contaminated food and water causes neurological complications leading to paralysis; (iii Clostridium perfringes through open wound causes gas gangrene and severe abdominal cramp; (iv) Smallpox virus through direct contact with the contaminated object and inhalation causes Persistent Fever and Rash on body parts; (v) RICIN, a protein toxin from castor seed through contaminated food or water, causes severe abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, and pulmonaryedema.

In order to prevent the use of bioweapons in wars, some initiatives had been taken by nations. An agreement, The Geneva Protocol, was signed in 1925 so that no biological means and asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases can be used during war. Fifty years later, a ban on any development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological weapons was introduced in Biological Weapon Convention (1975). Hence, biological agent usage is considered a war crime. [Md. Jashim Uddin]