Anthrax Ethical Dilemma

Biological warfare is infecting humans, animals and plants with a disease intentionally. This act is performed by introducing a bacterium or a virus into such an environment where population is not prepared to combat the infection caused by a pathogen. During warlike situations these biological weapons result in potent killing of humans, livestock, plants and pets. The infection causing bacteria or viruses are genetically or conventionally modified to have resistance to antibiotics. These pathogens could easily spread further through air, water, touch and food. Bacillus anthracis commonly known as anthrax is a bacterium which is when exposed to humans, releases toxin and can be fatal if not treated timely.

The first biological weapon was

Professional and moral responsibilities of the workers who took part in the development of vaccines and then clinical tests were to be defined within the limits of ethics. These ethical issues were are mainly concerned with informed consent of the patients involved in clinical testing. Also the risk and beneficence of the people involved in the research and development of biodefense methods. There is a ‘dual-use dilemma’ is an ethical dilemma in using technologies like genetic engineering and other research which have an ability to be used in bad ways as well as good ways. The ethical issues in bioterrorism or biodefense can be easily related to this dilemma. Biotechnology helps is inventing new vaccines, medicines, healthy food, various therapies for life threatening diseases. But in this case biotechnology has been misused for causing harm and killing huge number of people. In such a way scientific research and the technologies are being misused and create

By using various ethical tools we can justify why bioterrorism is wrong and if right then to what extent. In order to get rid of huge destruction we need to have solutions which are concerned with these ethical issues. By killing so many innocent people we are question humanity. Anybody who is doing research, his/her knowledge should not harm anyone. Any work should be based on beneficent development and make wise use of scientific knowledge. These days at international airports, there is a strict security check on what we are carrying with us from the other country. It is to make sure that we are not carrying anything that can result in bioterrorism. There are things like plants, spices and some food items that are not affecting the native country but can affect some other country adversely in the allergies and spread throughout the nation. There should be a restriction of spreading of information and knowledge about the ‘dual-use’ technology to those groups who think that this information can help them developing and spreading bioterrorism. The review and monitoring of the procedure by an ethical committee should ensure that the benefits of the research is more than the risks and harm. There should be strict laws and regulation to keep a check on these activities and those who do not abide by these regulations must get