title: The plague of Athens: an ancient act of bioterrorism?
abstract: Recent data implicate Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi as a causative pathogen of the Plague of Athens during the Peloponnesian War (430-426 bc). According to Thucydides, the sudden outbreak of the disease may link to poisoning of the water reservoirs by the Spartans. The siege of a city was aimed at exhausting the supplies of a population, which often led to the outbreak and spread of epidemics. Poisoning of the water reservoirs of a besieged city as an act of bioterrorism would probably shorten the necessary time for such conditions to appear.
authors.forename: Manolis J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Papagrigorakis
authors.forename: Philippos N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Synodinos
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stathi
authors.forename: Chrysanthi L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Skevaki
authors.forename: Levantia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zachariadou
mesh_terms: D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000266:history*; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D010930:Plague / Q000266:history* / Q000382:microbiology; D012485:Salmonella typhi; D014857:Warfare
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water