2. INTRODUCTION
A BIOTERRORISM ATTACK IS THE DELIBERATE RELEASE OF
VIRUSES, BACTERIA, OR OTHER GERMS (AGENTS) USED TO CAUSE
ILLNESS OR DEATH IN PEOPLE, ANIMALS, OR PLANTS.
THESE AGENTS ARE TYPICALLY FOUND IN NATURE, BUT IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT THEY COULD BE CHANGED TO INCREASE THEIR
ABILITY TO CAUSE DISEASE, MAKE THEM RESISTANT TO
CURRENT MEDICINES, OR TO INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO BE
SPREAD INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.
3. CLASSIFICATION
CATEGORY A: HIGH-PRIORITY AGENTS
ORGANISMS THAT POSE A RISK TO NATIONAL
SECURITY
CAN BE EASILY TRANSMITTED
RESULT IN HIGH MORTALITY RATES
MIGHT CAUSE PUBLIC PANIC AND SOCIAL DISRUPTION
AGENTS/DISEASES INCLUDE ANTHRAX, BOTULISM,
PLAGUE, SMALLPOX AND VIRAL HEMORRHAGIC
FEVERS (Eg. EBOLA).
4. CLASSIFICATION
CATEGORY B: SECOND HIGHEST PRIORITY
MODERATELY EASY TO DISSEMINATE
RESULT IN MODERATE MORBIDITY RATES AND LOW
MORTALITY RATES,
AGENTS/DISEASES INCLUDE EPSILON TOXIN
OF Clostridium perfringens, FOOD SAFETY THREATS
(Eg., salmonella SPECIES, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shigella)
Etc.
5. CLASSIFICATION
CATEGORY C: THIRD HIGHEST PRIORITY AGENTS
EMERGING PATHOGENS THAT COULD BE ENGINEERED FOR MASS DISSEMINATION IN THE
FUTURE BECAUSE OF AVAILABILITY, EASE OF PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION, AND
POTENTIAL FOR HIGH MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY RATES AND MAJOR HEALTH IMPACT.
AGENTS INCLUDE EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES SUCH AS NIPAH VIRUS AND HANTA
VIRUS, AND MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS (MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT STRAINS).
NEWER TRENDS ARE PRODUCTS OF MICROBES THAT CAN KILL OR INCAPACITATE
TARGETED HOSTS, E.G. HORMONES, NEUROPEPTIDES, CYTOKINES CALLED AS “DESIGNER
SUBSTANCES” TO TARGET A PARTICULAR ORGAN OR TYPE OF ENEMY. OTHERS ARE
“ETHNIC BOMBS” AND PARASITE BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS UNDER TRIAL TO AFFECT CASH
CROPS.
6. ANTHRAX
1. CAUSITIVE AGENT: Bacillus anthracis
2. CHARACTERISTICS: AEROBIC, SPORULATING, ROD-SHAPED BACTERIA
3. GROWTH CONDITIONS: OPTIMAL T IS 37°C AND UNABLE TO GROW ABOVE
43°C.
4. MODE OF ACTION: THE MECHANISM OF ANTHRAX TOXIN ACTION IS THE
RESULT OF THE MOLECULAR STRUCTURES OF THE THREE TOXIN PROTEINS IN
COMBINATION WITH BIOMOLECULES OF THE HOST CELL AND DISRUPT
CELLULAR SIGNALING
5. MORTALITY RATE: 20% FOR CUTANEOUS ANTHRAX AND 25 - 75% FOR
GASTROINTESTINAL ANTHRAX; INHALATION ANTHRAX HAS A FATALITY RATE
THAT IS 80% OR HIGHER.
6. DIAGNOSTICS AVAILABLE: BIOPSY, BLOOD AND CHEST X-RAY OR CT SCAN
7. TREATMENT AVAILABLE: ANTIBIOTICS
7. BOTULISM
1. CAUSITIVE AGENT: Clostridium botulinum
2. CHARACTERISTICS: ROD – SHAPED, ANAEROBIC, SPORE-
FORMING
3. GROWTH CONDITIONS: LOW- ACID, HIGH MOISTURE AND
ROOM TEMPERATURES
4. MODE OFACTION: PRODUCES A NEUROTOXIN acetylcholine
5. MORTALITY RATE: EARLIER WAS 60-70% BUT NOW IS 5-10%
6. DIAGNOSTICS AVAILABLE: SERUM, STOOL OR FOOD SAMPLES
7. TREATMENT AVAILABLE: ANTITOXIN
8. PLAGUE
1. CAUSITIVE AGENT: Yersenia pestis
2. CHARACTERISTICS: NONMOTILE, NONSPORULATED, AEROBIC GRAM-
NEGATIVE BACILLUS OR COCCOBACILLUS
3. GROWTH CONDITIONS: GROWING WITHIN 24 TO 72 H AT A T RANGE OF 4 TO
40°C (OPTIMUM, 28 TO 30°C) AT PH 7.4
4. MODE OFACTION: A ZOONOTIC BACTERIA, USUALLY FOUND IN SMALL
MAMMALS AND THEIR FLEAS. IT IS TRANSMITTED BETWEEN ANIMALS THROUGH
FLEAS. HUMANS CAN BE INFECTED THROUGH THE BITE OF INFECTED VECTOR FLEAS.
5. MORTALITY RATE: 50% TO 60%
6. DIAGNOSTICS AVAILABLE: TAKING SAMPLES FROM THE PATIENT, ESPECIALLY
BLOOD OR PART OF A SWOLLEN LYMPH GLAND
7. TREATMENT AVAILABLE: AMINOGLYCOSIDES AND FLUOROQUINOLONES
ARE THE MAINSTAYS OF TREATMENT
9. EBOLA
1. CAUSITIVE AGENT: EBOLA VIRUS (SPECIES ZAIRE EBOLAVIRUS)
2. CHARACTERISTICS: THE FILAMENTOUS VIRUS HAS A CHARACTERISTIC TWISTED THREAD SHAPE.
FILOVIRIDAE VIRUSES ARE NEGATIVE-STRAND RNA VIRUSES
3. MODE OF ACTION: EBOLA VIRUS TAKES ADVANTAGE OF A NON-SPECIFIC ENGULFING PROCESS
CALLED MACROPINOCYTOSIS, WHICH ALLOWS THE VIRUS TO BE “EATEN” BY A WAVE-LIKE MOTION OF THE
CELL MEMBRANE. ONCE INSIDE THE CELL, THE VIRUS HIJACKS THE CELL'S OWN MACHINERY TO CREATE
MORE COPIES OF ITSELF.
4. MORTALITY RATE: 25% TO 90% IN PAST OUTBREAKS
5. DIAGNOSTICS AVAILABLE: CAN BE DETECTED IN BLOOD AFTER ONSET OF SYMPTOMS. IT MAY TAKE
UP TO THREE DAYS AFTER SYMPTOMS START FOR THE VIRUS TO REACH DETECTABLE LEVELS. POLYMERASE
CHAIN REACTION (PCR) IS A COMMONLY USED DIAGNOSTIC METHOD FOR EBOLA DISEASE BECAUSE OF ITS
ABILITY TO DETECT LOW LEVELS OF AN EBOLAVIRUS.
6. TREATMENT AVAILABLE: THERE'S CURRENTLY NO LICENSED TREATMENT OR VACCINE FOR EBOLA.
POTENTIAL NEW VACCINES AND DRUG THERAPIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED AND TESTED. ANY AREA
AFFECTED BY AN OUTBREAK SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY QUARANTINED, AND PEOPLE CONFIRMED TO HAVE
THE INFECTION SHOULD BE TREATED IN ISOLATION IN INTENSIVE CARE
10. COVID
1. CAUSITIVE AGENT: SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME
CORONAVIRUS 2, OR SARS-COV-2
2. CHARACTERISTICS: ENVELOPED, NON-SEGMENTED, POSITIVE SENSE,
SINGLE-STRANDED RNA VIRUS
3. MODE OFACTION: THE CORONAVIRUS SPIKE (S) PROTEIN ATTACHES TO
ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME 2 (ACE2) RECEPTORS THAT IS FOUND
ON THE SURFACE OF MANY HUMAN CELLS, INCLUDING THOSE IN THE
LUNGS ALLOWING VIRUS ENTRY.
4. MORTALITY RATE: VARIABLE FROM 10-60%
5. DIAGNOSTICS AVAILABLE: A REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTION POLYMERASE
CHAIN REACTION (RT-PCR) ASSAY, OR AN ANTIGEN TEST
6. TREATMENT AVAILABLE: SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT
11. ROLE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN
TACKLING BIOTERRORISM
SURVEILLANCE AND ASSESSMENT (EARLY DETECTION OR AWARENESS) BY
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL METHODS: TIMELY, SENSITIVE, SPECIFIC, AND PRACTICAL
1. HARNESSING INFORMATION, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE EPIDEMIOLOGIC
CLUES OFA POSSIBLE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE EPIDEMIOLOGIC CLUES OF A
BIOLOGIC WARFARE OR TERRORIST ATTACK
2. VERIFICATION, IMMUNIZATION, AND CONFIRMATION
3. INITIATION OF APPROPRIATE PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION FOR DIAGNOSIS AND
CHARACTERIZATION/SENSITIVITY OF THE BIOLOGICAL ORGANISM: NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NACD)
MEDICAL MANAGEMENT (PREVENTIVE, PROMOTIVE, AND CURATIVE SERVICES)
DISSEMINATION (PUBLIC SAFETY AND LAW ENFORCING AGENCIES
