Biological weapon
A biological weapon is a weapon that delivers toxins or pathogens (like bacteria or viruses), with the goal of making people sick or killing them.[1][2] Biological weapons are also called bio-weapons. Their use in war is called biological warfare.
Parts of a biological weapon
A biological weapon usually has two parts.[2] The first is the biological agent (also called a bio-agent, biological threat agent, or biological warfare agent). This is the pathogen that is meant to make people sick. The second is the delivery system - how the biological agent is going to get to and expose the people it is supposed to infect.
Some bio-agents can be "weaponized" - changed to make them more dangerous. For example, sometimes scientists can change a pathogen's genes so the pathogen is deadlier, and so it will not be killed by usual antidotes or treatments. Some bio-agents can be changed so they are easier to store, spread, or use as weapons.[3]
As of 2016, there are more than 1,200 different kinds of bio-agents that could be made into weapons.[4]
Examples of biological agents
Examples of some biological agents and toxins are listed below. Experts have said that these pathogens could be used as biological weapons.[2][5][6][7] A few already have been used, including anthrax, bubonic plague, smallpox, and ricin.
Bacterial agents
| Pathogen | Disease | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Bacillus anthraces | Anthrax | Was weaponized by the U.S., Soviet Union, and Iraq[6]p. 26 |
| Brucella species | Brucellosis | Brucella suis was the first bio-agent weaponized by the U.S., in 1954; Brucella species easily survive in aerosol form[6] |
| Yersinia pestis | Bubonic or pneumonic plague | Killed 60% of Europe's population in the 1300s.[8] Pneumonic plague is fatal if antibiotics are not given within 1 day after symptoms start[6]p. 55 Weaponized by U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War[8] |
| Vibrio cholerae | Cholera | Could be spread by contaminating water supplies[9] |
| Shigella dysenteriae; Some species of Escherichia coli | Dysentery | Could be spread by contaminating food supplies[10]p. 212 |
| Coxiella burnetii | Q fever | Number of bacteria needed to infect a person is one - the lowest known to man[6]p. 67 Can live on surfaces for 60 days, in aerosols, and in many temperatures[11] Weaponized by U.S. between 1942 and 1969[6] |
| Francisella tularensis | Tularemia | Very contagious; bacteria are very easy to get because they occur in nature; Weaponized by U.S. between 1942 and 1969[6] |
| Rickettsia prowazekii | Typhus | High mortality rate if untreated; can be spread by aerosol[10]p. 169 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | Many | Could be spread by contaminating food supplies or by aerosol[12] Some strains (like MRSA) are resistant to antibiotics[13] |
Viral agents
| Pathogen | Disease | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Alphaviruses | Many | Can cause many forms of viral encephalitis; very low dose needed for infection. Easily spread by aerosol.[6]p. 96 |
| Filoviridae and Arenaviridae viruses | Many | Cause viral hemorrhagic fevers, like Ebola virus and Lassa fever Can be spread by aerosol; very high mortality rates[6]p. 107 |
| Variola major | Smallpox | Very contagious, easily spread through air, mortality rate 20-40% Eradicated in 1970s, but laboratories still have samples[14] |
Biological toxins
| Toxin | Toxin Comes From: | Toxin Causes: | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botulinum | Clostridium botulinum | Botulism | One of the deadliest toxins known to exist; Weaponized by U.S. between 1942 and 1969[6]p. 122 |
| Ricin | Castor oil plant | Ricin poisoning | Can be made at home; very toxic by any route of exposure[15] |
Examples of delivery systems
In the past, countries have designed many different delivery systems for exposing people to biological agents. These systems have included:[2]
- Bombs, missiles, hand grenades, and rockets, with the biological agent inside
- Tanks that could spray bio-agents from airplanes, cars, trucks, and boats
- Aerosol sprayers
- Brushes to contaminate surfaces with bio-agents
- Ways of contaminating food and clothing
Examples of biological weapons
A biological agent by itself is not enough to make a biological weapon. Neither is a delivery system by itself. A biological weapon has to have both: the bio-agent that is meant to make people sick, and a system to deliver that agent.[2]
Here are a few examples of biological weapons that have been used throughout history.
| Year | Bio-Agent | Delivery System | Used By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1346 | Yersinia pests (plague) | Corpses of bubonic plague victims | Tartar army to attack Crimea[1] |
| 1763 | Variola major (smallpox) | Blankets from smallpox victims | British soldiers to attack Native Americans[1] |
| 1940s | Yersinia pests (plague) | Plague-infected ticks dropped from airplanes | Japan to attack China during World War II[6]p. 56 |
| 1941 | Vibrio cholerae (cholera) | Contaminated food & water | Japan to attack China[9] |
| 2001 | Bacillus anthraces (anthrax) | Mailed letters | Terrorists to attack U.S. politicians and news stations[16] |
| 2013 | Ricin | Mailed letters | Terrorists to attack U.S. President Obama and a U.S. Senator[15] |
Related pages
Other websites
- Biological weapon -Citizendium
References
- 1 2 3 "Introduction to Biological Weapons". FAS.org. Federation of American Scientists. 2007. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "What Are Biological and Toxin Weapons?". The United Nations Office at Geneva. The United Nations. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Biological Agents". United States Department of Labor: OSHA. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
- ↑ Mistovich, Joseph J.; Karren, Keith J.; Hafen, Brent (July 18, 2013). Prehospital Emergency Care (10th ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0133369137.
- ↑ "Select Agents and Toxins List". Federal Select Agent Program. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 10, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Dembek, Zygmunt, F., ed. (September 2011). USAMRIID's Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook (PDF) (7th ed.). Fort Detrick, Maryland: U.S. Army Medical Institute of Infectious Diseases. ISBN 978-0-16-090015-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - ↑ "Frequently asked questions regarding the deliberate use of biological agents and chemicals as weapons". WHO.int. World Health Organization. 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- 1 2 "Plague: History". Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 14, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- 1 2 Weintraub, Pamela (2002). Bio-Terrorism. Citadel Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0806523989.
- 1 2 Lutwick, Larry I.; Lutwick, Suzanne M. (December 15, 2008). Beyond Anthrax: The Weaponization of Infectious Diseases. Springer Science and Business Media. ISBN 9781597453264.
- ↑ "CDC Q Fever - Emergency Preparedness and Response". 15 January 2019.
- ↑ Kelley, Patrick W., ed. (2003). Textbooks of Military Medicine: Military Preventive Medicine. Government Printing Office. p. 645. ISBN 978-0-1608-7311-9.
- ↑ "MRSA Infection". Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. September 9, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ↑ Inglesby TV, Henderson DA, et al. 1999 (1999). "Consensus Statement: Smallpox as a Biological Weapon: Medical and Public Health Management". Journal of the American Medical Association. 281 (22). American Medical Association: 2127–2137. doi:10.1001/jama.281.22.2127. PMID 10367824.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - 1 2 Shea, Dana A; Gottron, Frank (April 17, 2013). Ricin: Technical Background and Potential Role in Terrorism (PDF) (Report). Congressional Research Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Amerithrax or Anthrax Investigation". FBI.gov. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved February 8, 2016.