Imagine a terrorist without weapons or bombs. Would he be considered a real terrorist? The answer is yes; anyone who threatens or endangers the lives of others is a terrorist, even those who use bacteria and viruses instead of other usual weapons. When people use biological weapons as terrorism, that act is called bioterrorism. Unfortunately, these actions have been repeated throughout history, as well as in the present day. In fact, they can be much more dangerous than actual weapons. In the past, biological weapons have been used in warfare. Such warfare strategies included throwing carcasses into enemies' castles or forts, which caused a terrible spread of disease. As the world enters the modern era, these pathogens can be used more efficiently as a weapon. Countries such as the United States, Russia, and Iraq all participate in this dangerous competition of bioterrorism. For the United States, the use of biological weapons was primarily for defense against other countries. “The headquarters for bioweapons research has been established at Fort Detrick.” (208) These research centers have succeeded in increasing the hostility of a bacterium that causes anthrax. The United States has also attempted to create biological weapons against bubonic plague and tularemia. US scientists then focused on viral weapons, resistant to antibiotics. The United States has grown viruses inside chick eggs because they need living cells to reproduce. The United States has no history of using biological weapons, but it almost did once. They once planned to spray a bacterium called Clostridium botulism during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but changed the plan to use a toxin called staphylococcal enterotoxin B and two germs called encephalitis and rickets... middle of paper... ...is a arduous task because there are complex procedures to make the germs work effectively to kill. However, bioterrorist events are deadly as finding vaccines and cures would be difficult. A group called the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has set a future goal of finding a vaccine that can immunize people with multiple diseases and finding a detergent that can quickly kill germs. However, the public should realize the dire consequences of bioterrorism if it occurred and should be aware that it can occur anywhere and at any time. The United States has created some new inventions to detect the presence of pathogens through the use of microchips and battery-powered devices. Bioterrorism can also occur unknowingly, so the public should notify the hospital if strange illnesses have occurred. Overall, we as humans are not safe on this dangerous Earth.