BIOWEAPONS

1. BIOWEAPONS

2. CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
HISTORY
TYPES
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

3. WHAT ARE BIOWEAPONS
 Toxic materials or pathogenic substances(usually
microbes).
 Biological weapons are potentially deadlier than
chemical weapons.
 These substances work to kill or incapacitate the host.
 Biological weapons may be used to target living
organisms such as humans, animals or vegetation.

4. HISTORY AT A GLANCE
 In 1942, British bioweapons trials severely
contaminated Gruinard Island in Scotland with
anthrax spores.
 In 1979, the Soviet Union accidently released
airborne anthrax, killing 66 people in the process.
 1939-1949—Second World War, Japanese army
poisoned more than 1,000 water wells in Chinese
villages to study cholera and typhus outbreaks.

5. MOST POTENTIAL BIOWEAPONS
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CHIMERA
NIPAH VIRUS
BOTULINUM TOXIN
TULERAMIA
ANTHRAX

6. ANTHRAX
 Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the
bacterium Bacillus anthracis.
 The bacteria live in the soil, where grazing animals typically come
into contact with spores while rooting around for food.
 Symptoms are fever, respiratory problems, fatigue, muscle
aches, enlarged lymph nodes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
 1945: Iran  outbreak causes 1 million sheep deaths.
WHY USE ANTHRAX
 Relatively easy to acquire, in vitro growth (any lab media @ 37 C)
and induction of sporulation is easy.

7. TULERAMIA
 Tularemia also known as rabbit fever is a
serious infectious disease caused by the
bacterium Francisella tularensis.
 Humans typically acquire the disease through
contact with infected animals, infected insect bites, the consumption of
contaminated foods or the inhalation of the bacteria in aerosol form.
 Symptoms  fever, headache, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough and
progressive weakness.
 Outbreak of tularemia among German soldiers-siege of Stalingrad was due to the
release of F. tularensis by Soviet forces.
WHY USE TULERAMIA
 It is easy to aerosolize
 It is highly infective; between 10 and 50 bacteria are sufficient to infect victims.

8. BOTULINUM TOXIN
 Botulinum toxin is a protein and neurotoxin
produced by the bacterium Clostridium
Botulinum.
 Clostridium botulinum can kill in 24 to 72 hours, which
makes it a harmful bioweapon.
 Symptoms Blurred vision, vomiting and difficulty
swallowing.
 In 1990 the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo released an
aerosol of the toxin.

9. NIPAH VIRUS
The virus naturally occurs in fruit bats.
Symptoms fever, muscle pains or
inflammation of the brain.
The outbreak occurred in the Nipah region of
Malaysia, infecting 265 and killing 105.

10. CHIMERA
 In Greek and Roman mythology, the
chimera combined elements of lion,
goat and serpent into one monstrous form.
 In modern genetic science, a chimeric organism is a life
form that contains genes from a foreign species.
 Chimera, which combines the common cold with polio, may
help cure brain cancer.
 1980 Soviet Union's Chimera Project(combining of
Smallpox and Ebola).

11. Defense against biological agents
• Military defense
– good protective mask equipped with filters-blocking bacteria, virus
– effective biological weapon sensors-alarms to make sure of
overgarments, gloves.
• Civil defense
– improved since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
– Ex. the U.S. government incorporated smallpox vaccine for every
military personel.
– Long-term medical research-improved vaccines.

12. ADVANTAGES
 Small amount needed
 Extremely toxic
 Easy/inexpensive to grow
 Large amount produced in short period of time
 Potential for panic

13. DISADVANTAGES
 Quality control
– Particles must be aerosolized .
 Delivery problems
– Rain, wind, UV light
– Bombs, and shells produce poor, localized aerosols
– Heat and shock waves (explosions) kill most organisms
 Poor storage survival