Biological or Bio-Warfare is the use of biological pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins) derived from living organisms to kill or incapacitate one’s enemy. From poisoned arrows (Scythians, and later the Viet Cong guerillas) to poisoned wells (Sparta, Persia, Rome and others), to bombs with deadly bacteria (Japan, United States, Soviet Union and Iraq), the intentional use of bio-warfare has been around for centuries.
Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the deliberate use of disease-causing biological agents to kill or incapacitate humans, animals, and plants.
These bio-weapons are living organisms or replicating entities (virus) that reproduce or replicate within the host victims.
Biological weapons may be employed in various ways to gain strategic or tactical advances over an adversary, either by threat or by actual deployment. Like some of the chemical weapons, biological weapons my also be useful as area denial weapons. These agents may be lethal or non-lethal, and may be targeted against a single individual, a group of people or am entire population. They may be developed, acquired or stockpiled.
Biological weapons allow for the potential to create a level of destruction and loss of live in excess of nuclear, chemical or conventional weapons, relative to their mass, cost of development and storage requirements.