Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria or other germs (agents) to cause illness or death in people, animals or plants. These agents are typically found in nature, but can be altered to enhance their morbidity rate, resistant to medicines and virulence.
Biological agents can be spread through the air or water or in food. Terrorists may use biological agents because they can be difficult to detect and have incubation periods of several hours to several days.
Some bioterrorism agents, like the smallpox virus, can spread from person to person and some, like anthrax, can not.
Bioterrorism agents can be arranged into three categories, based on their virulence, severity and mortality rate. Category “A” agents are of the highest priority; whereas, Category “C” agents are considered emerging threats.
Category “C” Diseases/Agents are the third tiered agents which include nascent pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination in the future due to their availability, ease of production and dissemination; and potential for high morbidity and mortality rates and major health impact.
Bioterrorism as an U.S. State Statute Topic
This term is one of the topics in some U.S. State Statutes. Other topics of the World Encyclopedia of Law which are topics of some State Statures are:
- Licensed Public Accountants (State statute topic)
- Guardians Ad Litem (State statute topic)
- Biological Warfare
- Bioterrorism
- Birth Control
- Birth Defects
- Bombs
- Border States
- Boundaries
- Breach Of The Peace
- Fairs (State statute topic)
- Female Genital Mutilation (State statute topic)
- Genocide (State statute topic)
- Global Warming (State statute topic)
- Holocaust Victims (State statute topic)
- Hospices (State statute topic)
- Importation (State statute topic)
- Insurrection (State statute topic)
- Integration (State statute topic)
- Interamerican Development Bank (State statute topic)
- Interference (State statute topic)
- International Bank For Reconstruction And Development (State statute topic)
- International Waters (State statute topic)
- Internet (State statute topic)
- Interpol (State statute topic)
- Interpretation Of Law (State statute topic)
- Islands (State statute topic)
- Lie Detector Tests (State statute topic)
- Life Sentences (State statute topic)
- Local Laws (State statute topic)
- Masonry (State statute topic)
- Monasteries (State statute topic)
- Monuments (State statute topic)
- Muslim Religion (State statute topic)
- Natural Disasters (State statute topic)
- Natural Resources (State statute topic)
- Navigable Waters (State statute topic)
- Navigation (State statute topic)
- Organic Acts (State statute topic)
- Peace Corps (State statute topic)
- Periodicals (State statute topic)
- Pirating (State statute topic)
- Local Police Relief Associations (State statute topic)
- Pollution Of Atmosphere (State statute topic)
- Pollution Of Waters (State statute topic)
- Prisoners Of War (State statute topic)
- Privatization (State statute topic)
- Public Works (State statute topic)
- Pyramid Sales (State statute topic)
- Recognizance (State statute topic)
- Red Cross (State statute topic)
- Refugees (State statute topic)
- Religion And Religious Beliefs (State statute topic)
- Riot (State statute topic)
- Risk Management Services (State statute topic)
- Samples (State statute topic)
- Schedules (State statute topic)
- Secret Societies (State statute topic)
- Sovereignty (State statute topic)
- State Aid (State statute topic)
- Toxic Substances (State statute topic)
- Toxic Waste (State statute topic)
- Trafficking In Persons (State statute topic)
- Treason (State statute topic)
- Treaties (State statute topic)
- Judges (State statute topic)
- Judicial Notice (State statute topic)
- Judicial Sales (State statute topic)
- Juries (State statute topic)
- Jurors (State statute topic)
- Jury Trials (State statute topic)
- Juvenile Offenders (State statute topic)
- Juvenile Petty Offenders (State statute topic)
- Tax-Forfeited Land (State statute topic)
- Tax Increment Financing (State statute topic)
- Tax Preferences (State statute topic)
- Unconscionable Contracts (State statute topic)
SEE ALSO:
Anthrax; Biodefense; Biological and Chemical Weapons; Biosafety; Botulism; Disasters and Emergency Preparedness; Hemorrhagic Fever; Infectious Diseases (General); Smallpox.
Further Reading
Arizona Department of Health Services, “History of Biowarfare and Bioterrorism,”
P. Bossi, et al., “Bioterrorism: Management of Major Biological Agents,” Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (v.63, 2006).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emergency Preparedness and Response Section,
Donald Henderson, “The Looming Threat of Bioterrorism,” Science (v.283/5406, 1999).
N. F. Lightfoot; R. C. Spencer, “Preparedness and Response to Bioterrorism,” Journal of Infection (v.43, 2001).
National Public Radio, “History of Biological Warfare,”
Paul Rogers; Simon M. Whitby; Malcolm Dando, “Biological Warfare against Crops,” Scientific American (v.280/6, 1999).
Other Topics in the American Legal Encyclopedia
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