This document discusses biological agents that could potentially be used for bioterrorism and discusses anthrax as an example agent. It provides background on the historical use of biological agents. It then summarizes some key points about anthrax including that a release of 50kg in an urban area could result in 250,000 cases and 100,000 deaths. It also discusses anthrax spores, toxins, disease forms, detection and treatment options. Overall the document outlines the threat of biological agents and uses anthrax as a case study to discuss characteristics, impacts and response considerations.
Biological Warfare.....
Straight and Short Information on Biological Warfare.....
Now In 2020, The COVID-19(The Novel Corona Virus) is the best example of Biological Warfare.......
Contents-
#Historical Events
#Biological Warfare
#Bio-Weapons
#Biological Agents
#Weapons Development Cycle
#Advantages
#Disadvantages
#Conclusion
#References
#Case Study
“Microbial forensics” has been defined as “a scientific discipline dedicated to analyzing evidence
from a bioterrorism act, biocrime, or inadvertent microorganism/toxin release for attribution
purposes” (Budowle et al., 2003). This emerging discipline is still in the early stages of
development and faces substantial scientific challenges to provide a robust suite of technologies
for identifying the source of a biological threat agent and attributing a biothreat act to a particular
person or group. The unlawful use of biological agents poses substantial dangers to individuals,
public health, the environment, the economies of nations, and global peace. It also is likely that
scientific, political, and media-based controversy will surround any investigation of the alleged
use of a biological agent, and can be expected to affect significantly the role that scientific
information or evidence can play. For these reasons, building awareness of and capacity in
microbial forensics can assist in our understanding of what may have occurred during a biothreat
event, and international collaborations that engage the broader scientific and policy-making
communities are likely to strengthen our microbial forensics capabilities. One goal would be to
create a shared technical understanding of the possibilities—and limitations—of the scientific
bases for microbial forensics analysis._ NCBI
biological weapons, an weapons which can kill many and that also by means of biology this may refer as silent killer as being describe in many science fiction movies like resident evil etc
Introduction to bioterrorism , history of bioterrorism, key features of biological agents used as bioweapons, biological agents and effects, bioterrorism agents, effects of biological attacks, COVID-19 used as bioweapon , technology at work, preventive measures.
Biological Warfare.....
Straight and Short Information on Biological Warfare.....
Now In 2020, The COVID-19(The Novel Corona Virus) is the best example of Biological Warfare.......
Contents-
#Historical Events
#Biological Warfare
#Bio-Weapons
#Biological Agents
#Weapons Development Cycle
#Advantages
#Disadvantages
#Conclusion
#References
#Case Study
“Microbial forensics” has been defined as “a scientific discipline dedicated to analyzing evidence
from a bioterrorism act, biocrime, or inadvertent microorganism/toxin release for attribution
purposes” (Budowle et al., 2003). This emerging discipline is still in the early stages of
development and faces substantial scientific challenges to provide a robust suite of technologies
for identifying the source of a biological threat agent and attributing a biothreat act to a particular
person or group. The unlawful use of biological agents poses substantial dangers to individuals,
public health, the environment, the economies of nations, and global peace. It also is likely that
scientific, political, and media-based controversy will surround any investigation of the alleged
use of a biological agent, and can be expected to affect significantly the role that scientific
information or evidence can play. For these reasons, building awareness of and capacity in
microbial forensics can assist in our understanding of what may have occurred during a biothreat
event, and international collaborations that engage the broader scientific and policy-making
communities are likely to strengthen our microbial forensics capabilities. One goal would be to
create a shared technical understanding of the possibilities—and limitations—of the scientific
bases for microbial forensics analysis._ NCBI
biological weapons, an weapons which can kill many and that also by means of biology this may refer as silent killer as being describe in many science fiction movies like resident evil etc
Introduction to bioterrorism , history of bioterrorism, key features of biological agents used as bioweapons, biological agents and effects, bioterrorism agents, effects of biological attacks, COVID-19 used as bioweapon , technology at work, preventive measures.
Defendect CBRN Terror Threat Detection SystemSandeep Kumar
This is a product presentation of Defendtect. The world's most advanced CBRN system.
Defentect is an advanced CBRN threat detection system marketing by Rapidsoft Systems Inc. (http://www.rapidsoftsystems.com). It is only system of its kind that can save lives by detecting threats before they occur.
Majority of fetal deaths occur in the antepartum period.
There is progressive decline in maternal deaths all over the world. Currently more interest is focused to evaluate the fetal health. The primary objective of antenatal assessment is to avoid fetal death.
This presentation focuses on a short history of bioterrorism, description, its advantages and disadvantages and organisms incorporated into weapons are also shown here.
Covid-19 pandemic has caused over 6 million deaths and has been acknowledged as one of the worst pandemic in living memory. But antimicrobial resistance as invisble pandemic may clain more deaths every year if suitable action is not taken soon.
Answering the Call to Arms: Tools for assessing the anti-infective potential ...Cassandra Quave
This is a presentation delivered at the 16th Annual Conference on the Science of Botanicals and 5th Annual Interim American Society of Pharmacognosy Meeting from April 11-14, 2016 in Oxford, MS, USA.
Abstract:
Answering the Call to Arms: Tools for Assessing the Anti-infective Potential of Natural Products in a Time of Rising Antibiotic Resistance
Quave CL1,2
1 Center for the Study of Human Health, Emory University, 550 Asbury Circle, Candler Library 107, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA. 2 Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Whitehead 105L, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA.
As antibiotic resistance continues to rise, the pool of viable anti-infective therapeutic options is becoming rapidly exhausted. New therapies are in high demand and natural products are a likely source of novel bioactive compounds to meet this need. In particular, botanical secondary metabolites represent a rich pool for antibiotic discovery efforts. Plants are often the primary ingredients used in traditional anti-infective therapies, and yet their activity and mechanisms of action are often poorly understood. Much of the antibacterial research on botanical extracts and essential oils has focused on growth inhibitory studies using outdated methods limited in their ability to obtain an accurate assessment of bioactivity. The emergence of new molecular and bioanalytical tools for drug discovery provides a unique opportunity for application to natural products research.
Using Staphylococcus aureus as a model, tools for anti-infective testing of plant extracts will be reviewed, specifically focusing on the merits and limitations of each method. Examples include standardized methods for examining activity for the inhibition of growth (e.g., MIC, MBC), virulence (e.g., quorum sensing and toxin quantification) and pathogenesis (e.g., biofilms and antibiotic synergy). Data from our recent discoveries of novel biofilm [1] and quorum sensing [2,3] inhibitors isolated from medicinal plants (Rubus ulmifolius, Castanea sativa and Schinus terebinthifolius) will be presented in the review of these tools.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (R01 AT007052). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of NCCIH or NIH.
References: [1] Quave CL, Estévez-Carmona M, et al. (2012) PLoS ONE, 7(1): e28737. [2] Quave CL, Lyles JT, et al. (2015) PLoS ONE, 10(8): e0136486. [3] Quave CL, Horswill AR (2014) Frontiers in Microbiology, 5: 706.
Calf Coccidiosis
General about coccidia- Structure- Life cycle- Environmental factors for survival
Eimeria in cattle- Prevalence- Clinical coccidiosis- Sub-clinical coccidiosis
Surveillance and control
What is Coccidiosis?
Enteric disease caused by the protozoan parasites Eimeria spp
Bioterrorism is using living organsims as weapons of mass destruction or to cause panic in population. it has existed since ancient times and yet pose a potential future threat. this compilation is not exhaustive and contains references at the end for further reading
2. Several bacterial, viral agents and toxins-
pose public health risk- bioterrorist attack1
14th century- siege of ukraine2
Fort Pitt, Ohio river valley3
Anthrax- 1979, Soviet Union
Anthrax, botulinum and aflatoxin- 1995,
Iraq
1. Bioterriorism: from threat to reality.Atlas RM Annu Rev Microbiol. 2002; 56():167-85.
2. Biological warfare. A historical perspective.Christopher GW, Cieslak TJ, Pavlin JA, Eitzen EM Jr.
JAMA. 1997 Aug 6; 278(5):412-7.
3. Wheelis M. Biological warfare before 1914. In: Moon JE van Courtland., editor. Biological and
toxin weapons: Research, development, and use from the middle ages to 1945. Vol. 1.
Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute; 1991. pp. 8–34.
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3. 4. Why should we be concerned about biological warfare?. Richard Danzig et al,. JAMA, Vol
278,No,5,pp. 431-432
Factors
Easy
delivery
Low
visibility,
high
potency
Recipes –
available
on
internet
Extremely
Low-
technology
methods
concealment,
transportatio
n
,disseminatio
n easy
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8. Disease Pathogen Abused
Anthrax Bacillus antracis (B) First World War
Second World War
Soviet Union, 1979
Japan, 1995
USA, 2001
Botulism Clostridium botulinum (T) –
Plague Yersinia pestis (B) Fourteenth-century
Europe
Second World War
Smallpox Variola major (V) Eighteenth-century N.
America
Tularemia Francisella tularensis (B) Second World War
6. The history of biological warfare. EMBO Rep. 2003 June; 4(Suppl 1): S47–S52
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9. Agent
Infective
Dose
(Aerosol)
Incubation
Period
Diagnostic
Assay
Chemotherap
y
Anthrax
8,000-50,000
spores
1-5 d Ag- ELISA
Ciproflaxin
Doxycycline
Penicillin
Plaque
100-500
organisms
2-3 d Ag-ELISA
Chlorampheni
col
Q-fever
1-10
organisms
10-40 d ELISA Tetracycline
Small pox
Assumed low
10-100 org
7-17 d
ELISA,PCR,
Virus isolation
Cidofovir
7. Clinical Recognition and management of patients exposed to biological warfare agents. JAMA,
Vol,278,No5.1997.pp.399-411 4/20/2015
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10. • A release of 50 kg agent in an area with population 5
million
• Anthrax
250,000 cases -100,000 deaths
Plague
150,000 cases -36,000 deaths
Tularemia
250,000 cases -19,000 deaths
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12. Gram-positive,
Endospore-forming,
rod-shaped
width of 1–1.2µm and
a length of 3–5µm
Only obligate species
on Bacillus
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6. The history of biological warfare. EMBO Rep. 2003 June; 4(Suppl 1): S47–S52
14. 14
• 95% of all cases globally
• Incubation: 3-5 days (up to 12 days)
• Spores enter skin through open wound or abrasion
Large skin ulcer created
• Fever and malaise 5% - 20% mortality
• Untreated – septicemia and death.
Cutaneous
• Severe gastroenteritis
• Incubation: 2-5 days after consumption of
undercooked, contaminated meat
• Case fatality rate: 25-75%
Gastrointestinal
• Incubation: 1-7 days
• Phase 1: Nonspecific - Mild fever, malaise
• Phase 2: Severe respiratory distress Cyanosis,
death in 24-36 hours
• Case fatality: 75-90% (untreated)
Inhalational
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Worst-case scenario
(Office of Technology
Assessment)
• 50 kg of spores
Urban area of 5 million
250,000 cases of
anthrax
100,000 deaths
• 100 kg of spores
Upwind of Wash D.C.
130,000 to 3 million
deaths
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Vaccine – available but effectiveness
unproven in humans (only monkeys)
• 5-35% experience systemic side effects
• No long-term side effects proven
• Six shots plus annual booster required
Penicillin
• Has been the drug of choice
• Some strains resistant to penicillin
Ciprofloxacin
• Chosen as treatment of choice in 2001
• No strains known to be resistant
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19. Vaccine :
• Every case of Foodborne botulism is treated as a
public health emergency. If antitoxin is needed, it can
be quickly delivered to a physician anywhere in the
country.
• Skin should be tested for hypersensitivity before
equine antitoxin is given.
Mortality :
• Botulism can result in death due to respiratory failure.
• In the last 50 years, patients who die from botulism
have dropped from 50% to 8%.
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20. Extreme neuro-specificity: BoNTs are
being exploited in the treatment of a
myriad of neuromuscular disorders and for
the removal of facial wrinkles (BOTOX).
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24. The unfortunate fact
remain that humans
are often the most
sensitive or the only
detectors of the
biological attack.9
9. Department of the Army, Navy and the Air Force NATO Handbook on the medical aspects of NBC
Defensive operations,1996.
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25. Not only human sample
Powdery material, air/water samples
Sample preparation- hours to days
Sample collection, handling, transportation
and preparation- vital
Conventional culture procedures- some virus
or bacteria
• Minimum: 3-7 to 15 days
• Skilled manpower
• No real time
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27. • Natural prevalence of the disease
• Becton Dickinson (USA) , Vitek (BioMe’rieux)
and Microlog (USA)
• Pure culture and trained manpower
Biochemical test
based assays
• Luciferin- luciferase interaction
• Quality control- bacterial contamination
• ATP contamination from non-microbial source
• Non-specific
• First line defence
Bioluminescence
based detection
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28. 10. Immunoassay of infectious agents.Andreotti PE, Ludwig GV, Peruski AH, Tuite JJ, Morse SS, Peruski LF
Jr Biotechniques. 2003 Oct; 35(4):850-9.
11. A review of molecular recognition technologies for detection of biological threat agents.Iqbal SS, Mayo
MW, Bruno JG, Bronk BV, Batt CA, Chambers JP Biosens Bioelectron. 2000; 15(11-12):549-78.
• ELISA based
• Quality of antigen or antibody11
• Different substrate label i.e, fluroscent,
chemiluminescent and different platforms
like ELISA plate, Visual dot and lateral
flow format
• Only one agent at a time
Antigen-
Antibody10
• Q-PCR assays-probes for all the agents
• Software: Monitors the progress and presence
detected online on a monitor
• Data transferred over long distance
• Variation with nucleic acids, availability of
starting material
• Inhibitory substances, specificity and
sensitivity of primers, probes and enzymes
used
Nucleic
acid
based
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29. DRDE, Gwalior-
• Toxicology and biochemical pharmacology
• nanotechnology-based sensors
• unmanned robot-operated aerial and ground
vehicles fitted with NBC detection sensors
HSADL, Bhopal-
• animal diseases such as avian influenza, Nipah
virus infection, rabbit haemorrhagic fever, and
swine flu.
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