5 Worst Biological Weapons (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

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• published: 02 Aug 2015
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There hasn't been a time in history where war didn't exists, meaning weapons are becoming more deadly & advanced every decade. One of the most destructive forces used in war is biological warfare. Biological weapons have the power to wipe out thousands of people without the enemy even being nearby. Hard to control, it causes not just innocent lives to be lost but huge impacts on a countries resources & infrastructure. All reasons why biological warfare is extremely effective but also extremely wrong. Here are 5 of the worst biological weapons in the world. We would like to give a big shoutout to viewer CyclopsTurkey for suggesting this video. Music: "Unwritten Return" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 5) Smallpox The British infamously distributed smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans, which spread through their tribes like wildfire killing many. Smallpox is caused by the variola virus. The most common form of the disease has a 30 percent mortality rate. Signs of smallpox include high fevers, body aches, and a rash that develops from fluid-filled bumps and scabs to permanent, pitted scars. The disease predominantly spreads through direct contact with an infected person's skin or bodily fluids, but also can be spread though the air in close, confined environments. T­­he CDC classifies smallpox as a Category A biological weapon due to its high mortality rate and the fact that it can be transmitted through the air. 4) Anthrax Anthrax Spores was first tested as a biological warfare agent by Unit 731 of the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria during the 1930s. Some of this testing involved intentional infection of prisoners of war, thousands of whom died. During the fall of 2001, letters containing a curious white powder began turning up at U.S. Senate offices and media outlets. The anthrax letter attacks infected 22 people and killed five. Seven years later, the FBI finally narrowed down its investigation to government anthrax scientist Bruce Ivins, who committed suicide before the case could be closed. The most deadly form is inhalation anthrax, when the spores travel to the lungs and then the immune cells carry them to the lymph nodes. Here, the spores multiply and release toxins that result in such symptoms as fever, respiratory problems, fatigue, muscle aches, enlarged lymph nodes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and black ulcers. Inhalation anthrax carries the highest mortality rate of 100%. This figure drops to 75% with medical treatment. 3) Ebola The recent outbreak of Ebola has shown just how deadly this virus is. With a mortality rate of 60% - 90% and no real cure for it, a mass spread Ebola outbreak can even mean the end of man kind. Luckily for us it spreads through blood or other bodily fluids so can be quarantined easily if given the correct equipment. However by the early 1990s, the Soviet Union managed to create a weaponized, aerosol form of the virus meaning it can be spread through the air. If this was ever used it would by far be one of the most deadly biological weapons in the history of mankind. 2) Botulinum Toxin If the air you just inhaled contained botulinum toxin, you'd have no way of knowing. In weaponized airborne form, the deadly bacteria would be completely colorless and odorless. However between 12 and 36 hours later, the first signs of botulism would begin to take hold: blurred vision, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. At this point, your only hope would be a botulism antitoxin, and only if you could get your hands on it before symptoms advanced much further. If untreated, paralysis begins to take hold, seizing up your muscles and finally your respiratory system. For this reason, the organism's deadly toxin is a Category A biological weapon. With ventilators to work your lungs, the mortality rate plummets from 70% to 6%, but recovery takes time. To recover fully from a case of botulism, the patient actually has to grow new nerve endings, a process that takes several months. 1) Chimera Viruses Geneticists have already discovered the means to increase the lethality of such bioweapons as smallpox and anthrax by tweaking their genetic structure. During the late 1980s, the Soviet Union's Chimera Project studied the feasibility of combining smallpox and Ebola into one super virus. Other potential nightmare scenarios involve strains of viruses that require certain triggers. A stealth virus would remain dormant for an extended period until triggered by predetermined stimuli. Other possible chimeric bioweapons might require two components to become effective. Imagine a strain of botulinum toxin that, when combined with the botulinum toxin antidote, only becomes more lethal.