Bioweapons and bioterrorism: A review of history and biological agents

Bioweapons is a thorny issue due their destructive capabilities, and for the potential to generate panic and terror among the affected people. Used since pre-Christian times, bioweapons have resulted in the decimation of whole populations and have changed the geopolitics of several places. In this paper, a summary of the main wars and terrorist activities carried out using bioweapons over the time is presented. In addition, the main biological warfare agents and related pathologies are considered, as according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) priority classification. The emergence of potentially more destructive biological agents, due to the widespread introduction of biotechnology, is also analysed.