Merima's post inspired me to look through my old college essays and revisit the different courses I took. Most of my scientific writings are experimental analysis and aren't very exciting, however I wrote an article in a pretty interesting course, "Ethics in Science" which I thought I'd share:

Contrary to popular belief, the use of biochemical warfare has existed back to as far as history can be recorded. The Romans used dead animals to taint their enemy’s water supply. The Tartars threw human corpses afflicted with the bubonic plague over the walls of the city of Kaffa. A better known incident of biological warfare in history is the smallpox epidemic in the Native American population. This was caused by the British handing over blankets which were contaminated with the disease because they thought the Indians were siding with the French in the French-Indian War. Today the use of biochemical warfare is becoming a more publicized form of global weaponry. In particular, a spore-forming bacteria, Anthrax, (Bacillus anthracis) has become popular in the media surrounding terrorist reports worldwide as well as in the United States.

It is unclear whether the U.S. military is using Anthrax in their chemical arsenal. Currently the U.S. military states there are at least 10 countries working to develop Anthrax as a warfare agent. The U.S. military defense web site does not confirm or deny whether it is currently using this deadly bacteria. They use this safe route to avoid resoundingly bad publicity. The populace clearly voiced its disapproval of biochemical weapons after the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. Further negative publicity arose after the Gulf War when some people attributed Gulf War Syndrome to biological warfare. Recently, domestic terror has increased with threats of packaged Anthrax being mailed to government agencies, schools, and individuals.

The public’s opinion of Anthrax is justified. One billionth of a gram can kill a person and the disease spreads easily by inhalation of the bacteria, contact through mucus membranes, through the skin, eating infected meat, or even handling an animal dying of Anthrax infection. The symptoms of this deadly disease vary depending upon the way the bacterium is transmitted. The most lethal transmission, through inhalation, causes death in 1-2 days after exposure. Symptoms resemble the common cold then progress to severe breathing problems, shock and ultimately death. 99% of unvaccinated victims exposed to Anthrax will die unless given antibiotics to suppress the infection before onset of symptoms. The spores of the bacterium causing the disease can survive in soil for years. When the British military tested the spread of Anthrax through conventional bombs off the coast of Scotland, the spores remained by embedding themselves into the soil, although the military supposedly decontaminated the area by starting brush fires on the island.

The use of Anthrax by the military can be devastating because the bacterium spores can remain in an area for an indefinite amount of time. Because it is an airborne disease, it can easily spread over a large area. Anthrax is unpredictable and can inadvertently spread to civilians surrounding the targeted area. In addition, there is no way to ensure an area is completely clear of the deadly bacteria before entering the area or rebuilding on the affected site. In comparison, a bomb explodes at a targeted place at a specific time without further repercussions of further destruction.

Although most countries agree that the use of biological weapons is inhumane and should not be used, the use of Anthrax is becoming increasingly popular with less developed, terrorist countries such as Iraq and North Korea. It has become the bioweapon ‘of choice’ because it is extremely effective and very easy to develop. A basic knowledge of biology and inexpensive resources are all that are required to produce Anthrax in large amounts. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless - an ideal way to penetrate enemy lines without being noticed. A weapon of mass destruction can be developed inexpensively in a short amount of time when compared to conventional weaponry. A development program of Anthrax is easy to hide from other countries. Nuclear weapons programs require vast resources to develop and maintain, whereas a small molecular biology laboratory researching and developing Anthrax can easily disguised as a medical research laboratory . The level of technology for this weapon is vastly lower when compared to the technology required for a nuclear weapons arsenal. An extensive number of precursors is not needed to develop the bacterium, only a single cell can generate a huge population of Anthrax. An expensive delivery system for this weapon is not required, as it can be packaged simply in an envelope and delivered. For example, to level a square kilometer of land and its inhabitants, it would cost approximately $2000 using conventional weapons, $800 using nuclear weapons, $600 using chemical weapons, and a mere $1 using biological weapons. The level of technology for this weapon is vastly lower when compared to the technology required for a nuclear weapons arsenal.

Should the government use bioweapons, specifically Anthrax as a part of its weapons arsenal? Can the use of biological weapons be justified? If budgets were all that mattered, it would be an ideal project. Most bang for the buck, so to say. Unfortunately, the consequences of Anthrax and many other lethal bacteria last longer than traditional weaponry. There is also no useful target zone because it can spread unpredictably. These defects aren’t a concern for terrorist groups, making it a better terrorist weapon, than a military one. These problems should have been obvious to any biologist working on developing Anthrax as a weapon -- so why is Anthrax being developed by militaries for warfare? I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.

References
Bioterrorism Special Report: All Fall Down by Robert Taylor

Anthrax (Bacillus Anthracis) Frequently Asked Questions

Bacteriology at UW-Madison 330 Lecture Topics: Anthrax

Dept. of Defense: Countering the Anthrax Threat

ABC News: The Invisible Weapon