 |
The Dangers of Bioweapons
| Agent |
Effect on Human Body |
Incubation Period |
| Anthrax |
Fever, coughing, shock; death likely |
within 48 hrs |
| Botulinum |
Blurred vision, difficulty breathing and swallowing,
muscle paralysis, death in 60% of cases |
within 24 hrs |
| Bubonic Plague |
High fever, headache, swollen glands, pneumonia;
death likely |
2-6 days |
| Ebola |
Fever, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, limited kidney
and liver functions, internal and external bleeding--no
known treatment; death in 50% of cases |
2-21 days |
| Marburg |
Fever, excessive bleeding, conjunctivitis, diarrhea,
jaundice; death in 25% of cases |
5-7 days |
| Smallpox |
High fever, skin blisters, bleeding mucous membranes--no
known treatment; death in 33% of cases |
week or more |
Source: Reader's Digest, (January 1999). |
|
