WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Kolářová Marie, EPI Autumn 2019
Biological agent
A biological agent (also called bio-agent, biological threat agent,
biological warfare agent, biological weapon, or bioweapon) is a
bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, or fungus that can be used
purposefully as a weapon in bioterrorism or biological warfare (BW).
In addition to these living or replicating pathogens, toxins and biotoxins
are also included among the bio-agents.
More than 1,200 different kinds of potentially weaponizable bio-agents
have been described and studied to date.
Bioterrorism
is the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, toxins or other harmful agents to
cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants.
These agents are typically found in nature, but could be mutated or altered to
increase their ability to cause disease, make them resistant to current medicines,
or to increase their ability to be spread into the environment.
Biological agents can be spread through the air, water, or in food. Biological
agents are attractive to terrorists because they are extremely difficult to detect
and do not cause illness for several hours to several days.
Some bioterrorism agents, like the smallpox virus, can be spread from person to
person and some, like anthrax, cannot.
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Kamran Afzal, PhD.
, Asst Prof Microbiology
Bacterial bio-agents (Military Symbol)
Tularemia Francisella tularensis (SR or JT)
Plague Yersinia pestis (LE)
Melioidosis Burkholderia pseudomallei (HI)
Listeriosis Listeria monocytogenes (TQ)
Glanders Burkholderia mallei (LA)
Dysentery (bacterial) Shigella dysenteriae, some species of Escherichia coli (Y)
Diphtheria Corynebacterium diphtheriae (DK)
Cholera Vibrio cholerae (HO)
Brucellosis (porcine) Brucella suis (US, AB or NX)
Brucellosis (caprine) Brucella melitensis (AM or BX)
Brucellosis (bovine) Brucella abortus
Anthrax Bacillus anthracis (N or TR)
Psittacosis Chlamydophila psittaci (SI)
Chlamydial bio-agents
Rickettsial bio-agents
Q Fever Coxiella burnetii (OU)
Rocky Mountain spotted fever Rickettsia rickettsii (RI or UY)
Typhus (human) Rickettsia prowazekii (YE)
Typhus (murine) Rickettsia typhi (AV)
Viral bio-agents
Equine Encephalitis (Eastern) Eastern equine encephalitis virus (ZX)
Equine Encephalitis (Venezuelan) Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis virus (FX)
Equine Encephalitis (Western) Western equine encephalitis virus (EV)
Japanese B encephalitis Japanese encephalitis virus (AN)
Rift Valley fever Rift Valley fever virus (FA)
Smallpox Variola virus (ZL)
Yellow fever Yellow fever virus (OJ or LU)
Mycotic bio-agents
Coccidiomycosis Coccidioides immitis (OC)
Biological toxins
Toxin Source of Toxin (Military Symbol)
Abrin Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius)
Botulinum toxins (A through G)
Clostridium botulinum bacteria or spores, and several other Clostridial
species. (X or XR)
Ricin Castor bean (Ricinus communis) (W or WA)
Saxitoxin
Various marine and brackish cyanobacteria, such as Anabaena,
Aphanizomenon, Lyngbya, and Cylindrospermopsis (TZ)
Staphyloccocal enterotoxin B Staphylococcus aureus (UC or PG)
Tetrodotoxin
Various marine bacteria, including Vibrio alginolyticus, Pseudoalteromonas
tetraodonis (PP)
Trichothecene mycotoxins
Various species of fungi, including Fusarium, Trichoderma, and
Stachybotrys
Biological vectors
Vector (Military Symbol) Disease
Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) (AP) Malaria, Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Yellow fever, other Arboviruses
Oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) Plague, Murine typhus