Historical examples of BW use

Throughout history, biological weapons (BW) have been used intentionally to cause disease and death. Notably, during World War II, Japan's Unit 731 conducted experiments and allegedly deployed plague-infected fleas to spread illness. During the Cold War, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union developed extensive BW programs, focusing on pathogens like anthrax and botulinum toxin, although their use was largely restrained by international treaties. These examples highlight the potential of BW as tools of warfare or terrorism, emphasizing the importance of treaties and regulations to prevent their misuse.