LONDON (AP) - The psychological damage done by chemical and biological weapons may be more severe than the physical harm, three medical specialists say in an editorial published Friday in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers from Britain, the United States and Australia said agents such as anthrax made inefficient military weapons but potent tools of terror. Their chief goal, the researchers said, was to induce "fear, confusion and uncertainty in everyday life."

The authors said the anthrax threat had already produced cases of "mass sociogenic illness" - illness rooted in social factors rather than a medical cause - with hundreds of people around the world complaining of the flu-like symptoms associated with anthrax infection.

In one case on Oct. 3, more than a thousand students in the Philippines flooded hospitals, complaining of symptoms including cough and fever, after rumors spread that the symptoms were due to bioterrorism, the authors said.

Official moves to safeguard the public - such as deploying investigators in moon suits to deal with suspicious packages - may instead add to anxiety, they said.

"Even if the short-term consequences of an attack with chemical or biological weapons turn out to be less than some of the apocalyptic scenarios currently being aired by the media, the long-term disruptions may be worse than anticipated," wrote the authors - Simon Wessely of Guy's, King's and St. Thomas's School of Medicine in London, Kenneth Craig Hyams of the Occupational and Environmental Strategic Health Care Group in Washington and Robert Bartholomew of James Cook University in Australia.

The inability of those in authority to provide clear-cut answers and reassurance may lead to "a growing distrust of medical experts and government officials," they said.

"The general level of malaise, fear and anxiety may remain high for years," the added.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.