Verified Document

Biological Warfare -- Past And Thesis

Native Americans in the 18th century contracted smallpox thanks to the U.S. soldiers in Fort Pitt giving them "some blankets and handkerchiefs" that were taken from patents in the infirmary with smallpox (Wheelis). It was a deliberate "attack" and wiped out many Indians. Also, during the American Revolutionary War, England were known to have inoculated smallpox on civilians with the intention of spreading it to the Continental Army. In World War I (1915 through 1918) the Germans waged "an ambitious campaign of covert biological attack" by injecting horses and mules being sent to the Allies with glanders and anthrax (Wheelis).

The Japanese used BW (8, 9, 10) in China during WWII; Wheelis writes that the Japanese "poisoned wells with microbial cultures, sprayed the ground with cultures" and left contaminated food for the Chinese army to eat and become ill. The Soviets are accused of having used biological weapons (tularemia) against Germany in 1942, and the Americans are accused (Wheelis) of dropping insects and fomites on North Korean villages from airplanes that were contaminated with biological agents. The U.S....

is also accused of using biological agents against Cuba in the 1960s and 1970s (Wheelis). There are also reports that the Soviets used mycotoxins and glanders in Afghanistan after invading the country in 1979, Wheelis writes. There are more instances of the use of biological weapons, including the use of Salmonella by the Rajneesh Sect in Oregon in 1984, in a demented attempt to keep voters from going to the polls; more than 750 cases of salmonellois were reported, "45 of which required hospitalization" (Wheelis).
Works Cited

Center for Biosecurity. (2008). BioAgents and Epidemic Diseases Background

Information. Categorization and Ongoing Assessment of Biological Agents.

Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org.

Ready America. (2009). Biological Threat. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/biological.html.

Wheelis, Mark. (2000). A Short History of Biological Warfare and Weapons. Journal Of American History. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://www.microbiology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/mwheelis/bw_history.pdf.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Center for Biosecurity. (2008). BioAgents and Epidemic Diseases Background

Information. Categorization and Ongoing Assessment of Biological Agents.

Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org.

Ready America. (2009). Biological Threat. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/biological.html.
Wheelis, Mark. (2000). A Short History of Biological Warfare and Weapons. Journal Of American History. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://www.microbiology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/mwheelis/bw_history.pdf.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Salmonella Food-Born Illness Food-Borne Illnesses: Salmonella the
Words: 702 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Salmonella Food-born illness Food-borne illnesses: Salmonella The salmonella bacterium is one of the most well-known and well-publicized health threats in the U.S. "Salmonella germs have been known to cause illness for over 100 years" (What is Salmonellosis, 2010, CDC). Salmonella bacteria can be present in the intestines of humans, and can be transmitted through consumption of tainted foods, water, or animal matter. Infections can be difficult to trace in the early stages, because

Salmonella Tomato Scare Slams Florida
Words: 589 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

The symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps that appear about 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness can last 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. It is most dangerous for the elderly, infants, and in people with certain other health disorders. After the FDA announced the outbreak, large restaurant chains like McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King and many others immediately pulled all their

Salmonella Fig 1. Salmonella Bacteria the First
Words: 1186 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Salmonella Fig 1. Salmonella Bacteria The first thing to note about Salmonella (seen in Fig. 1) is that it is a bacteria, and therefore a living organism. However the term "Salmonella" is used loosely in daily conversation to specify an illness caused by that bacteria in humans, and in other animals. Most people have some vague recollection of a "salmonella outbreak" caused by a contaminated food supply being reported in the media,

Salmonella Salmonellosis Is an Infection With Bacteria
Words: 916 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Salmonella Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Salmonella germs have been known to cause illness for over 100 years. The bacteria were first isolated in 1885 by Theobald Smith from pigs. The genus name was derived from the last name of D.E. Salmon, who was Smith's director. In 1896 Salmonella infection was diagnosed in humans. Salmonella is the genus name for over 2,500 types of bacteria. Though each type

Salmonella Infection
Words: 774 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Salmonella Infection The salmonella bacteria had been the twentieth century’s archetypical organism causing food poisoning, highly notorious for the 1988-89 crisis of salmonella in eggs. By that time, however, it had already been a topic of scientific and public health focus for more than a hundred years. Previously linked to animal foods, phage typing’s introduction during the 1940s started revealing the complex nature of its associations with its environment (Hardy, 2004). Epidemiological

Salmonella Food Borne Illnesses
Words: 313 Length: 1 Document Type: Essay

Food Borne IllnessesThe food borne investigations conducted by CDC in 2021 showed that most outbreaks were associated with salmonella pathogen. The said pathogen and related infections were associated with foods inclusive of, not limited to; ground turkey, cashew Brie, prepackaged salads, onions, and seafood. Individuals whose immunity has been weakened by diseases like cancer and kidney disease as well as their treatments are more likely to get salmonella infections (CDC,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now