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Review
. 2023 Mar 28;15(3):e36800.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.36800. eCollection 2023 Mar.

The History of Anthrax Weaponization in the Soviet Union

Ioannis Nikolakakis  1 , Spyros N Michaleas  1 , George Panayiotakopoulos  2 , Theodore G Papaioannou  1 , Marianna Karamanou  1
Affiliations
Review

The History of Anthrax Weaponization in the Soviet Union

Ioannis Nikolakakis et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

In this paper, we reveal the anthrax weaponization in the Soviet Union and its impact on biowarfare research, technology, and public health that resulted in the development of the first Soviet Anthrax vaccine and the subsequent vaccination of animals and humans en masse. We assume that there are cases that a biowarfare technology was incorporated into the civilian industry and benefited public health. However, the legacy of bioweapons today still poses an asymmetric threat to public health and safety.

Keywords: bacillus anthracis; biopreparat; biowarfare; bioweapon; sverdlovsk.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. People using Anios disinfectant to destroy microbes representing infectious diseases. Color lithograph by G. de Trye-Maison, ca. 1910
Source: Wellcome Library, London. Free to use with attribution Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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