Bio War.

Biological warfare(BW)—also known asgerm warfare—is the use of biological toxinsor infectious agentssuch as bacteria, viruses, and fungiwith intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. Biological weapons(often termed "bio-weapons", "biological threat agents", or "bio-agents") are living organismsor replicating entities ( viruses, which are not universally considered "alive") that reproduce or replicate within their hostvictims. Entomological (insect) warfareis also considered a type of biological weapon. This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfareand chemical warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for nuclear, biological, and chemical (warfare or weapons), all of which are considered " weapons of mass destruction" (WMDs). None of these fall under the term conventional weaponswhich are primarily effective due to their destructive potential. Biological weapons may be employed in various ways to gain a strategic or tacticaladvantage over the enemy, either by threats or by actual deployments. Like some of the chemical weapons, biological weapons may 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 even an entire population. They may be developed, acquired, stockpiled or deployed by nation statesor by non-national groups. In the latter case, or if a nation-state uses it clandestinely, it may also be considered bioterrorism. [ 1 ] There is an overlap between BW and chemical warfare, as the use of toxinsproduced by living organisms is considered under the provisions of both the Biological Weapons Conventionand the Chemical Weapons Convention. Toxins and psychochemical weaponsare often referred to asmidspectrum agents. Unlike bioweapons, these midspectrum agents do not reproduce in their host and are typically characterized by shorter incubation periods. [ 2 ] Overview Offensive biological warfare, including mass production, stockpiling and use of biological weapons, was outlawed by the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). The rationalebehind this treaty, which has been ratifiedor acceded to by 165 countriesas of 2011, is to prevent a biological attack which could conceivably result in large numbers of civilian casualtiesand cause severe disruption to economicand societal infrastructure.[ citation needed]Many countries, including signatories of the BWC, currently pursue research into the defense or protection against BW, which is not prohibited by the BWC. A nation or group that can pose a credible threat of mass casualty has the ability to alter the terms on which other nations or groups interact with it. Biological weapons allow for the potential to create a level of destruction and loss of life far in excess of nuclear, chemical or conventional weapons, relative to their mass and cost of development and storage. Therefore, biological agents may be useful as strategic deterrents in addition to their utility as offensive weapons on the battlefield.