Why are biological weapons considered weapons of mass destruction?

Biological weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) because they have the capacity to inflict death and destruction on a massive, indiscriminate scale. While the term is sometimes considered technically imprecise—as biological agents are designed to cause mass casualties rather than the physical destruction of infrastructure—they are grouped with nuclear and chemical weapons due to their potential to cause widespread pandemics and the profound fear they inspire.12

These weapons utilize bacteria, viruses, fungi, or toxins to target humans, animals, or plants. Their indiscriminate nature, combined with the extreme difficulty of controlling the spread of disease once released, makes them a grave threat to global security. Because of these catastrophic risks, the international community has established the Biological Weapons Convention to prohibit their development, production, and use.231