Bioterrorism Essay

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A hidden threat against the USA is becoming more and more potentially catastrophic; bioterrorism is now almost unstoppable. With new technologies such as genetic engineering, pathology, and high tech electronics, an attack of bioterrorism could have a record breaking number of fatalities. The truth of the matter is that this is real and very dangerous. There are secret bioweapon research facilities all across the world being hidden right under our noses. The threat of bioterrorism against the USA is greatly increasing and going unnoticed; as a response, we need to take action to be prepared for this catastrophic event.
New technologies are making bioterrorists better equipped and making research and development easier. Genetic engineering is the first example of how a bioweapon could be easily made for mass destruction. A virus such as Ebola Zaire – a virus with up to a 90% death rate – could be engineered to have an easier way of transmission. The small change, a change in only a few genes, could potentially destroy most, if not all, life on earth. If Ebola Zaire was engineered to have the same way of spreading as Ebola Reston, which spreads through the air (Preston 336), it could reach death tolls that have only lived in fiction.
Studies in pathology also aid to the likeliness of a successful attack. In the past, we have studied how a disease could be placed to cause the optimal number of deaths. The secret program that was run from 1932 to 1945 at Camp (now Fort) Detrick, in Frederick, MD, staged 239 pathology related open air experiments. These experiments used benign bacterial substitutes to track how clouds of bacteria spread in the environment (Drexler). A terrorist that gets access to the data from these experiments or th...

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...everyone to own and know how to operate a space suit similar to those in The Hot Zone by Richard Preston, then a bioterrorism attack would be quickly foiled. Other technologies such as filters to install in houses and cars would be a great step in keeping airborne diseases out of enclosed spaces. Also, it is good to be aware of the properties of these diseases and how they spread.
The thought of an attack actually occurring in the United States may seem a little farfetched, but it may be more of a reality than just science fiction. Bioterrorism is a real threat and you can take action to help maintain the threat. Staying informed and alert about diseases and how they spread can help keep the USA a safe place and minimize the effects of a bioterrorism attack. It is up to us to know what to do in case of catastrophe. Stay informed and help keep our country safe!

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