Bacterial Agents

Bacteria are small free-living single-cell organisms most of which may be grown on solid or liquid culture media. The organisms have a structure consisting of nuclear material, cytoplasm, and cell membrane. They reproduce by simple division. The diseases they produce often respond to specific therapy with antibiotics. They live in and around us and vary considerably in infectivity and lethality. Bacteria may be helpful, but in certain conditions may cause illnesses such as strep throat, most ear infections, bacterial pneumonia, and are the causative agents of anthrax, brucellosis, tularemia, plague, and numerous other diseases.
Intrinsic features of biological agents which influence their potential for use as weapons include: infectivity; virulence; toxicity; pathogenicity; incubation period; transmissibility; lethality; and stability. Unique to many of these agents, and distinctive from their chemical counterparts, is the ability to multiply in the body over time and actually increase their effect. Biological warfare is the military use of harmful microorganisms, or the toxins (poisons) they produce, as weapons against people, animals, or crops. It is sometimes called germ warfare. A small number of these microorganisms could kill millions of people if effectively distributed. Biological agents could also be used to make enemy soldiers too sick to fight, or to ruin an enemy's food supply. A biological agent that seriously damaged the enemy country's crops might be a decisive factor in a war.

In 1969, President Nixon stated that even if a nation used such biological warfare against the United States, the United States would not use biological warfare against another nation. Nixon ordered U.S. stocks of biological weapons destroyed.

In 1975, more than 140 nations ratified an international treaty banning biological weapons. It bars the production, possession, and use of such weapons.

Biological weapons have not played into a part of modern warfare, but military strategists must assume that the enemy possesses such weapons. Thus, much research is devoted to defense against such biological warfare.