Why Biological Agents Would Not Be Chosen as WMDs

How to Subscribe
MLS & MLT Comprehensive CE Package
Includes 186 CE courses, most popular
$109Add to cart
Pick Your Courses
Up to 8 CE hours
$55Add to cart
Phlebotomy CE Package$59Add to cart
Individual course$25Add to cart
The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Bioterrorism: The Laboratory's Role and Response. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

Learn more about Bioterrorism: The Laboratory's Role and Response (online CE course)
Why Biological Agents Would Not Be Chosen as WMDs

They are not immediate.
Delayed effect and long incubation period for some agents may detract and limit their usefulness as a political statement.
They are hazardous to all who come in contact.
There is the possibility that the biological agents could also affect the health of the aggressor forces.
They are hard to control.
The dependence of prevailing winds and other weather conditions such as temperature, sunlight, and desiccation may make it difficult to control distribution of the biological agent.
There is the potential for long-term effects beyond the initial attack.
The persistence of some agents such as spore-forming anthrax in the environment may make an area uninhabitable to aggressor forces for long periods.
Results are unpredictable.
Morbidity secondary to a biological attack is unpredictable since casualties will be related to the quantity and manner of exposure plus the preventive and treatment measures available.