The 1984 Rajneeshee Bioterrorism Attack: An Example of Biological Warfare by Violent Non-state Actors

With the advancement of technology and the life sciences, bioterrorism poses a unique and ever-evolving challenge to public security. In this article, we discuss one of the largest incidents of bioterrorism in the history of the United States. This attack highlights the unique threat that even resource-limited, small-scale bioterrorism poses to wider society when in the hands of small and highly motivated organizations. Physicians, scientists, and legislators should be well aware of the potential risk this poses in the coming years.