Editing Bioterrorism (section)

{{Short description|Terrorism involving biological agents}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{terrorism}}
[[File:130522-Z-OT568-023 (8794959774).jpg|thumb|Firefighters [[triage]] victims of a simulated bioterrorism attack at the Armed Forces Reserve Center during the Portland Area Capabilities Exercise (PACE) Setter at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas, Oregon, May 22, 2013. The purpose of the PACE Setter exercise is to test regional and interagency response to public health incidents affecting multiple agencies. (Photo by Staff Sgt. April Davis, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)]]
[[File:NBC-Mask M-17.jpg|thumb|United States [[airman]] wearing an [[M17 gas mask|M17]] [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear]], [[Biological warfare|biological]], and [[chemical warfare]] mask and hood]]
'''Bioterrorism''' is [[terrorism]] involving the intentional release or dissemination of [[biological agent]]s.<ref name="CTC-Sentinel 2022">{{cite journal |author1-last=Hummel |author1-first=Stephen |author2-last=Burpo |author2-first=F. John |author3-last=Hershfield |author3-first=Jeremy |author4-last=Kick |author4-first=Andrew |author5-last=O'Donovan |author5-first=Kevin J. |author6-last=Barnhill |author6-first=Jason |date=April 27, 2022 |url=https://ctc.westpoint.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CTC-SENTINEL-042022.pdf |title=A New Age of Bioterror: Anticipating Exploitation of Tunable Viral Agents |url-status=live |editor1-last=Cruickshank |editor1-first=Paul |editor2-last=Hummel |editor2-first=Kristina |journal=[[CTC Sentinel]] |volume=15 |issue=4, Special Issue: ''The Biological Threat – Part One'' |pages=1–6 |publisher=[[Combating Terrorism Center]] |location=[[West Point, New York]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512092543/https://ctc.westpoint.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CTC-SENTINEL-042022.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |access-date=May 12, 2022}}</ref> These agents include [[bacteria]], [[virus]]es, [[insects]], [[fungi]], and/or their [[toxin]]s, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form, in much the same way as in [[biological warfare]].<ref name=interpol>{{cite web |title=Bioterrorism |url=https://www.interpol.int/Crimes/Terrorism/Bioterrorism |website=www.interpol.int |access-date=12 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="CTC-Sentinel 2022"/> Further, modern [[agribusiness]] is vulnerable to [[:Category:Anti-agriculture weapons|anti-agricultural]] attacks by terrorists, and such attacks can seriously damage economy as well as [[consumer confidence]].<ref name="croodybook">{{cite book |last1=Croddy |first1=Eric |last2=Perez-Armendariz |first2=Clarissa |last3=Hart |first3=John |title=Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen |date=2002 |publisher=Copernicus Books |isbn=0387950761 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/chemicalbiologic00crod/page/78 78-84] |url=https://archive.org/details/chemicalbiologic00crod/page/78 }}</ref> The latter destructive activity is called '''agrobioterrorism''' and is a subtype of [[agro-terrorism]].<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-03071-1_16 |chapter=Agrobioterrorism |title=Defense Against Biological Attacks |year=2019 |last1=Roberge |first1=Lawrence F. |pages=359–383 |isbn=978-3-030-03070-4 |s2cid=239249186 }}</ref>