FunWhat are biological weapons?
Fun

What are biological weapons?

25
As their name suggests, biological weapons are made of viruses, bacteria and other highly contagious and terrifyingly virulent live agents. These biological agents, capable of being genetically manipulated to increase their pathogenicity, cause intractable infections that in the worst of cases kill the victims.

Despite the fact that the 1972 Bacteriological Weapons Convention prohibits the development and possession of biological weapons, there are reports that denounce its non-compliance. In 1995, the CIA revealed that at least 17 countries made biological weapons . Iraq, Bulgaria, India, Russia, China, Libya and Syria were some of those mentioned.

Among the host of microbes that populate the biological pumps, the following stand out:
– Bacilus anthracis . This bacteria causes anthrax or scurvy. The vaccine and antibiotics offer protection.
– Clostridium botulinum . Releases a toxin that causes botulism. Its progression is slowed by an antitoxin.
– Yersinia pestis . Responsible for the bubonic plague. It can be fought with vaccines and antibiotics.
– Ebola virus . Of recent appearance, this germ causes contagious and lethal hemorrhagic fevers. There is no treatment.

This bacterium could still survive under the soil of Mars

Known as 'Conan the bacterium', it could subsist for 280 million years under the surface, protected from radiation, scientists say.

How does a 'zombie' bacterium come back to life?

Scientists have detected unexpected activity in physiologically dead bacteria, deciding when it is safe to 'resurrect' if the environment is friendly to them.

Tiny robots manage to remove pneumonia from the lungs of mice

Scientists have eliminated pneumonia microbes present in the lungs of mice using a swarm of microrobots.

The cold sore possibly spread when we started kissing

They claim that cold sores spread in the Bronze Age as a result of the arrival of a new cultural practice: romantic and sexual kissing.

Monkeypox and breastfeeding: can I continue to breastfeed my baby if I get infected?

Monkeypox continues to spread throughout the world, and although it has not yet been declared a pandemic, the numbers are beginning to be worrying: in Spain we have exceeded 3,000 cases and we are the country that has registered the most infections in the world (which adds 15,379 cases as of July 20 according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention CDC).

More