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Letter to the Editor

THE EVOLUTION OF BIOLOGICAL AGENTS FOR TERRORISTIC PURPOSES. A NARRATIVE HISTORICAL REVIEW

A.M. Inchingolo1 ORCID, A.D. Inchingolo1 ORCID, L. Bottalico2, L. Santacroce3 ORCID, S. Topi4 ORCID, K. Haxhirexha5 ORCID, A. Scarano6 ORCID, F. Lorusso6 ORCID, G. Malcangi ORCID, F. Inchingolo7 ORCID, R. Gagliano-Candela8 ORCID, B. Rapone9 ORCID, G. Dipalma1 ORCID, I.A. Charitos8 ORCID

1 Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Microbiology and Virology Unit, University of Bari School of Medicine, Bari, Italy;
2 Interdepartmental Research Center for Pre-Latin, Latin and Oriental Rights and Culture Studies (CEDICLO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy;
3 Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Microbiology and Virology and Section of Odonto-Stomatology; School of Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”
4 Department of Clinical Disciplines, School of Technical Medical Sciences, University of Elbasan “A. Xhuvani,” Elbasan 3001, Albania
5 Department of General Surgery, Medical Faculty, University of Tetovo, 1220 Tetovo, North Macedonia
6 Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
7 Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Dental Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
8 Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Forensic Toxicology, University of Bari, School of Medicine, Bari, Italy
9 Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Microbiology and Virology Unit, University of Bari School of Medicine, Bari, Italy

Correspondence to:

A.M. Inchingolo, DDS
Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine,
University of Bari “Aldo Moro”,
Bari, Italy
e-mail: angeloinchingolo@gmail.com

Annals of Stomatology 2021 September-December; 1(1): 34-39
DOI https://doi.org/10.69129/stomatol/2021v1iss1_7


Received: 12 November 2021 Accepted: 10 December 2021

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Abstract

A terrorist action can take place with traditional weapons and/or with weapons of mass destruction. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, it can be divided into conventional and non-conventional weapons; the present investigation aimed to evaluate through a literature overview the evolution of biological agents for terroristic purposes. Conventional weapons are the common firearms such as pistols (semiautomatic, revolvers), light submachine guns, small artillery (machine guns, small mortars, portable missile launchers, mines), and heavy artillery weapons (machine guns of larger caliber, mortars, missiles). The narrative review focused on non-conventional weapons since their effects extend to large quantities of people, over a large territory, and for a prolonged period, also called “weapons of mass destruction”, and as such, are subject to complex, restrictive political agreements. The non-conventional weapons include several types of weapons, including nuclear weapons, biological weapons, chemical weapons, and radiogenic weapons. However, terrorism has ancient roots, and the term terrorism was used for the first time during the French Revolution. Many changes over time have occurred, both in the evolution of development and the non-legalized use of the aggressive agents that today are identified with the acronym N.B.C. (Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical).

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