Ethnic bioweapon An ethnic bioweapon ( " biogenetic weapon " ) aims to harm only or primarily persons of specific ethnicities or genotype s . History of ethnic bioweapons . Usage of natural disease as a weapon in conflicts has a long history . While in Nepal , its rulers maintained a malaria - infected Terai forest as natural barrier against invader from Ganges plains . Natives of Terai have natural resistance of malaria , while the invaders didn ' t . One of the first modern fictional discussions of ethnic weapons is in Robert A . Heinlein ' s 1942 novel " Sixth Column " ( republished as " The Day After Tomorrow " ) in which a race - specific radiation weapon is used against a so - called " Pan - Asian " invader . Genetic weapons . In 1997 , U . S . Secretary of Defense William Cohen referred to the concept as a possible risk . In 1998 some biological weapon experts considered such a " genetic weapon " a plausible possibility , and believed the former Soviet Union had undertaken some research on the influence of various substances on human genes . The possibility of a " genetic bomb " is presented in Vincent Sarich ' s and Frank Miele ' s book , " " , published in 2004 . The authors believe that information from the Human Genome Project will be used in just such a manner . In 2004 , The Guardian reported that the British Medical Association ( BMA ) considered bioweapons designed to target certain ethnic groups as a possibility , and highlighted problems that advances in science for such things as " treatment to Alzheimer ' s and other debilitating diseases " could also be used for malign purposes . : In 2005 the official view of the International Committee of the Red Cross was " The potential to target a particular ethnic group with a biological agent is probably not far off . These scenarios are not the product of the ICRC ' s imagination but have either occurred or been identified by countless independent and governmental experts . " In 2012 , The Atlantic wrote that a specific virus that targets individuals with a specific DNA sequence is within possibility in the near future . The magazine put forward a hypothetical scenario of a virus which caused mild flu to the general population but deadly symptoms to the President of the United States . They cite advances in personalized gene therapy as evidence . Israeli " ethno - bomb " controversy . In November 1998 , " The Sunday Times " reported that Israel was attempting to build an " ethno - bomb " containing a biological agent that could specifically target genetic traits present amongst Arab populations . " Wired News " also reported the story , as did " Foreign Report " . The article was quickly denounced as a hoax . Microbiologists and geneticists were skeptical towards the scientific plausibility of such a biological agent . The " New York Post " , describing the claims as " blood libel " , reported that the likely source for the story was a work of science fiction by Israeli academic Doron Stanitsky . Stanitsky had sent his completely fictional work about such a weapon to Israeli newspapers two years before . The article also noted the views of genetic researchers who claimed the idea as " wholly fantastical " , with others claiming that the weapon was theoretically possible . A planned second installment of the article never appeared , and no sources were ever identified . Neither of the authors of the " Sunday Times " story , Uzi Mahnaimi and Marie Colvin , have spoken publicly on the matter . Russian ban on export of biological samples . In May 2007 , Russian newspaper " Kommersant " reported that the Russian government banned all exports of human biosamples . The report claims that the reason for the ban was a secret FSB report about on - going development of " genetic bioweapons " targeting Russian population by Western institutions . The report mentions the Harvard School of Public Health , American International Health Alliance , United States Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division , Karolinska Institutet and United States Agency for International Development .