Overview of Uses of Biological Weapons in History

Although not aware of the science behind using biological agents, humans have been using biological weapons since before the time of the Ancient Roman Empire. Assyrians would poison their enemy's water supplies with fungus. When the Tartar army besieging Kaffa suffered an outbreak of the plague, they used the dead, infected soldier's bodies to start an epidemic in the city. In the 18th century, it is believed that the British distributed blankets with smallpox to Native Americans who were supporting the French.

Glanders was effectively the first bioweapon; applied with the knowledge of the agent used and how it works. It was distributed by German spies trying to infect the livestock of the Allies. Another such example is the Japanese attack on China in 1940. Using plague infested fleas which where dropped from airplanes, Japan started an epidemic of plague in China.

However, bioterrorism has not been left unchecked. Vaccines and other forms of protection are constantly being developed. The first successful vaccine against anthrax was developed in 1882 by Luis Pasteur. In 1953, the United States of America actively began to develop vaccines for the troops. Furthermore, in 1972, the Biological Weapons Convention was signed, prohibiting production of bioweapons for military purposes.