Germ Warfare

Romano, Amy. Germ Warfare. 2004. 48p. ISBN 0-8239-4493-X. Available at 358 ROM on the library shelves.

The human race has used germ warfare for as long as people have been fighting. From catapulting the bodies of bubonic plague victims during the Black Death to the British infecting Native Americans with smallpox during the colonization of what became the United States, we have employed sickness as a weapon.

Though banned by international treaties, germ warfare continues to be researched by scientists in many countries, as well as by terrorist groups and other non-state actors. Fortunately for humanity, it is hard to control germs, and infecting a target population could quickly spread or backfire on the attacker.

This short book describes the history of germ warfare and how it was waged in the past. Present conditions are explored, and possible means of preventing and dealing with the aftermath of germ warfare are discussed. Readers interested in military tactics and recent history will appreciate the information delivered in this book.