Biological Weapons - Introduction
Source: American Federation of Scientists Throughout history, infectious diseases contracted
naturally have had a significant impact on military operations. The
intentional dissemination of disease adds a new dimension to threats
that are posed by infectious and toxic agents traditionally
transmitted only by natural routes. Biological agents reportedly have
been employed to a limited extent during recent military conflicts
(for example, dispersion of plague bacilli during World War II and use
of trichothecene mycotoxins ("yellow rain" in South East Asia);
however, their use actually dates from antiquity.
The qualitative and quantitative impact of biological
warfare, or the threat of such warfare, on military forces and urban
communities has changed markedly in the past 20 years. Improved
production techniques have resulted in more virulent strains of
organisms and the genetic modification of non-pathogenic organisms to
pathogenic strains with virulent characteristics. The implications of
genetic engineering for chemical and biological warfare are
far-reaching. Genetic engineering provides the potential for improved
virulence by the incorporation of genes (i.e., specific strands of
DNA) permitting increased production of a pathogen or toxin. Thus, as
much as 100 times more pathogen or toxin could be produced per cell
than that which could be produced by naturally occurring strains.
Cells that normally do not produce toxins may be altered to produce
toxins for biological weapon development. Conversely, known pathogens
or toxins may be genetically inactivated for vaccine countermeasure
development. Cells can also be modified to produce antibodies directly
for passive immunization against specific infectious agents. As with
the human immune system, many current biowarfare detection kits depend
on antibodies reacting with the antigenic surface coatings of
pathogenic bacteria or viruses. Thus, modified non-pathogens can be
used to mask the agent from the immune-based detector and,
potentially, from the human immune system itself to increase the agent
's effectiveness.
General robustness or survivability of a pathogen under
the environmental stresses of temperature, ultraviolet (UV) radiation,
and desiccation (drying) can also be genetically improved to promote
stability during dissemination; nutrient additives are used to enhance
survival of selected biological agents in aerosols. Controlled
persistence of a pathogen to permit survivability under specified
environmental conditions may eventually be possible. The potential
also exists for the development of so-called "conditional suicide
genes," which could program an organism to die off following a
predetermined number of replications in the environment. Thus, an
affected area may be safely reoccupied after a predetermined period of
time.
Biological agents which may be used as weapons can be
classified as follows:
* Bacteria - Bacteria are small free-living organisms,
most of which may be grown on solid or liquid culture media. The
organisms have a structure consisting of nuclear material, cytoplasm,
and cell membrane. They reproduce by simple division. The diseases
they produce often respond to specific therapy with antibiotics.
* Viruses - Viruses are organisms which require living
cells in which to replicate. They are therefore intimately dependent
upon the cells of the host which they infect. They produce diseases
which generally do not respond to antibiotics but which may be
responsive to antiviral compounds, of which there are few available,
and those that are available are of limited use.
* Rickettsiae - Rickettsiae are microorganisms which
have characteristics common to both bacteria and viruses. Like
bacteria, they possess metabolic enzymes and cell membranes, utilize
oxygen, and are susceptible to broadspectrum antibiotics. They
resemble viruses in that they grow only within living cells.
* Chlamydia - Chlamydia are obligatory intracellular
parasites incapable of generating their own energy source. Like
bacteria, they are responsive to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Like
viruses, they require living cells for multiplication.
* Fungi - Fungi are primitive plants which do not
utilize photosynthesis, are capable of anaerobic growth, and draw
nutrition from decaying vegetable matter. Most fungi form spores, and
free-living forms are found in soil. The spore forms of fungi are
operationally significant. Fungal diseases may respond to various
antimicrobial.
* Toxins - Toxins are poisonous substances produced and
derived from living plants, animals, or microorganisms; some toxins
may also be produced or altered by chemical means. Toxins may be
countered by specific antisera and selected pharmacologic agents.
Intrinsic features of biological agents which influence
their potential for use as weapons include: infectivity; virulence;
toxicity; pathogenicity; incubation period; transmissibility;
lethality; and stability. Unique to many of these agents, and
distinctive from their chemical counterparts, is the ability to
multiply in the body over time and actually increase their effect.
Sources and Methods:
Adapted from - Biological Weapons Technology Militarily
Critical Technologies List (MCTL) Part II: Weapons of Mass Destruction
Technologies
NATO HANDBOOK ON THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF NBC DEFENSIVE
OPERATIONS PART II - BIOLOGICAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
II. Biological Threats Stemming From Human Activity
A. Accidental.
Civilian R&D such as research on dangerous pathogens;
the field testing of genetically organisms; the marketing of products
that eventually cause negative side effects; and/or the accidental
spillage of contaminated materials into the environment.
B. Deliberate.
1. R&D in military or civilian laboratories for the
purpose of producing a biological weapon. Two components - pathogen +
delivery system.
a. Low Tech System - the pathogen [usually an easily
obtained pathogen or its bio toxin]; and a low tech delivery system
[i.e. sealed glass container].
b. High Tech System - any naturally existing or man-made
pathogen [modified in virulence and ability to survive adverse
conditions]; and a high tech delivery system [i.e. missile].
c. Delivery via Living System - Human, Animal or Plants
deliberately infected for the purpose of spreading disease.
2. Commercial Contamination
a. Deliberate infection of, or failure to cleanse, a
food, hygiene, medical, etc. product; and the eventual dispersement of
that infected product to unknowing individuals.
b. Deliberate violation of a public health law knowing
full well that the act may cause the spread of disease [i.e. illegal
dumping of untreated materials known to contain biohazards; the
illegal disposing of biohazard material such as used syringes; etc.].
III. Zoonotic etiology
This category may be natural or the result of human
activity. It is recognized that the reservoirs of several emerging
infectious diseases are animals. Among these are Sin Nombre (a
hantavirus), and hemorrhagic fevers such as Marburg, Ebola and Lassa.
Others are zoonoses -- diseases that affect both animals and humans.
Rabies is probably the best known zoonosis. Recently emerging zoonotic
diseases are (1)West Nile virus, which has now been discovered in the
United States and has killed both wild birds and caused disease in
humans; (2) Nipah virus, which emerged in Malayasia killings pigs and
humans; and (3) in Australia, Hendra virus, which can kill horses and
humans.
Sources and Methods:
Paul Scinto, Report to "BioWar", 20 Sept 1999
Adapted from - Biological Weapons Technology Militarily Critical
Technologies List (MCTL) Part II: Weapons of Mass Destruction
Technologies
NATO HANDBOOK ON THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF NBC DEFENSIVE
OPERATIONS PART II - BIOLOGICAL
http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/bw/intro.htm