Brief History of
Biological Warfare |
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400 BC | Scythian archers would tip their arrows in a mixture of manure and blood from decomposing bodies. Enemy soldiers would develop bacterial infection from non-lethal arrow wounds, |
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300 BC | Roman soldiers would foul a city's water supply by throwing dead animals into wells. |
| 1346 | During the siege of Kaffa, Tartar soldiers who were plague victims would be thrown over the city's walls. The bodies would infect the city's population and weaken the city's defense. Believed to be responsible for the European plague. | |
1710 |
Russian troops hurl the corpses of plague victims over the city walls of Reval during Russia's war with Sweden. |
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1767 |
British forces during the French and Indian War gave blankets used by small pox victims to native indians to infect the indian population. | |
1917 |
The German had agents to inoculate and to infect 3000 head of horses, mules, and cattle, destined for the Allied troops in Europe with Glanders. It is also alleged that several hundred troops are additionally affected. | |
| 1937-45 | Japan created unit 731 that exposed Chinese cities and people with biological agents. The Japanese would infect fleas with the plague and drop then over populations with grain. The grain would attract rats that can vector the disease to humans. | |
| 1979 | In the city of Sverdlovsk, USSR, an explosion from military compound results in a toxic release. Over the next several days, citizens downwind are stricken with high fevers, difficulty breathing, and death. There are over 40 fatalities. Some believe the estimated death toll approaches 1000. While local doctors announce an outbreak of inhalation anthrax, the government blames the situation on anthrax-contaminated beef. The official cause is made known by President Boris Yeltsin in 1992 when he states that it was an accidental release of anthrax spores in a BW program | |
1984 |
A Rajnaeshee cult contaminated salad bars in Oregon with Salmonella typhimurium poisoning 750 people. The cult wanted to influence a local election. | |
| 2001 | Anthrax spores were mailed to several people in the US, including NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw. This infected postal workers, mail handlers and assistance that handled the mail. Twenty-one people were infected and killed three. |
biohazard images courtesy of: www.rnw.nl/information/html/act011017_anthrax2.html