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Preferred term

bioterrorism  

Definition

  • Bioterrorism is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs used to cause death in people, animals, or plants.” Although it is not a new phenomenon, it has increasingly become a topic of international public concern, particularly after recent high-profile bioterrorism attempts in Japan and the United States. The ability of biological agents to infect large numbers of people, the difficulty of initially detecting an attack, and the threat that these agents will create widespread population disruption and panic present a unique set of challenges. [Source: Encyclopedia of Global Health; Bioterrorism]

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URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/bioterrorism

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