- brucellosis.
- Q fever.
- ricin toxin.
- cholera.
What is an example of a bio weapon?
Historical biological weapons programmes have included efforts to produce: aflatoxin; anthrax; botulinum toxin; foot-and-mouth disease; glanders; plague; Q fever; rice blast; ricin; Rocky Mountain spotted fever; smallpox; and tularaemia, among others.
Which of the following are characteristics of biological weapons?
The most potent and desirable bioweapons should possess four main characteristic features: low visibility, high potency, substantial accessibility, and relatively easy delivery. Biological weapons are economically cheaper to produce and can cause mass casualties, and these factors enhance the threat caused by them.
What is the difference between bioterrorism and biological warfare?
The ability to use biological agents in warfare is prohibited by the Biological and Toxin Weapon Convention. Bioterrorism is defined as the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria or other agents used to cause illness or death in people, but also in animals or plants.
What makes something a biological weapon?
Biological and toxin weapons are either microorganisms like virus, bacteria or fungi, or toxic substances produced by living organisms that are produced and released deliberately to cause disease and death in humans, animals or plants.
When was the last time biological weapons were used?
The last known incident of using plague corpses for biological warfare may have occurred in 1710, when Russian forces attacked Swedish troops by flinging plague-infected corpses over the city walls of Reval (Tallinn) (although this is disputed).
What is the deadliest bioweapon?
Botulinum toxin Botulinum is relatively easy to produce and has extreme potency and lethality. It can be distributed via aerosol or by contamination of water and food supplies. A gram of Botulinum toxin can kill more than a million people if inhaled.
Where are biological weapons stored?
Production of U.S. biological warfare agents went from “factory-level to laboratory-level”. By 1950 the principal U.S. bio-weapons facility was located at Camp Detrick in Maryland under the auspices of the Research and Engineering Division of the U.S. Army Chemical Corps.
What is the difference between chemical and biological weapons?
Chemical weapons – often referred to as gases – suffocate the victim or cause massive burning. Biological weapons are slower acting, spreading a disease such as anthrax or smallpox through a population before the first signs are noticed.
What are examples of biological agents?
Biological agents include bacteria, viruses, fungi, other microorganisms and their associated toxins. They have the ability to adversely affect human health in a variety of ways, ranging from relatively mild, allergic reactions to serious medical conditions—even death.
What are indicators that a biological incident may have occurred?
Biological incidents (indicators) Unusual number of sick and dying – Casualties may occur minutes to hours to days or weeks after an incident has occurred. The time required before symptoms are observed is dependent on the agent used. Unscheduled and unusual spray – Especially outdoors during periods of darkness.
Which of the following is considered a very worrisome bioweapon because it is easy to acquire easy to work with and highly toxic?
Which of the following is considered a very worrisome bioweapon because it is easy to acquire, easy to work with, and highly toxic? terrorist group.
Was polio a biological weapon?
The polio virus itself is not an effective biological weapon, but the experiment shows the tremendous potential of genetic engineering and also highlights its problems, particularly when applied to smallpox.
What is the most dreaded of the possible bioterrorism agents?
Toxins represent one of the most dreaded forms of bioterrorism agents and have been successfully employed for bioterrorism/biocrime events.
How do you prepare for biological warfare?
Wash yourself with soap and water and put on clean clothes. Contact authorities and seek medical assistance. You may be advised to stay away from others or even to quarantine. If your symptoms match those described and you are in the group considered at risk, immediately seek emergency medical attention.
Is biological warfare a war crime?
In particular, the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) bans the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological weapons. Therefore, the use of biological agents in armed conflict is a war crime.
Which are the potential biological weapons that can be used in bioterrorism?
- Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)
- Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin)
- Plague (Yersinia pestis)
- Smallpox (variola major)
- Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
- Viral hemorrhagic fevers, including. Filoviruses (Ebola, Marburg) Arenaviruses (Lassa, Machupo)
Are biological weapons easy to obtain?
The technology associated with the manufacture of biological weapons is relatively inexpensive, and because it is similar to that used in vaccine production facilities, it is easy to obtain [ 17 ]. The microbial agents needed for most biological weapons are widely available [ 18 ].
Who was the first person to use biological warfare?
One of the first recorded uses of biological warfare occurred in 1347, when Mongol forces are reported to have catapulted plague-infested bodies over the walls into the Black Sea port of Caffa (now Feodosiya, Ukraine), at that time a Genoese trade centre in the Crimean Peninsula.
Does America have chemical weapons?
As of 2017, only North Korea and the United States are confirmed to have remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons.
What are 3 types of unconventional weapons?
While these examples may not instantly spring to mind when you think of a weapon, in many parts of the world, pipe bombs, gasoline bombs, or poisonous gases are real weapons. These are known as unconventional weapons. Other examples of unconventional weapons include nuclear, biological, and chemical agents.
How many biological weapons are there?
Although there are more than 1,200 biological agents that could be used to cause illness or death, relatively few possess the necessary characteristics to make them ideal candidates for biological warfare or terrorism agents.
What chemical weapons does Russia use?
Chemical weapons blister agents: Lewisite, mustard, Lewisite-mustard-mix (HL) nerve agents: Sarin, Soman, VX.
Can genetic engineering be used as a weapon?
In the bioweapon industry, genetic engineering can be used to manipulate genes to create new pathogenic characteristics aimed at enhancing the efficacy of the weapon through increased survivability, infectivity, virulence, and drug resistance (2).
Which country used biological weapons?
These include: Iraq, Iran, Libya, China, Russia and North Korea. Although the world knows little about these programs, an American assessment says China has an advanced bioweapons program. It also has an advanced chemical warfare program, that includes development, production and weaponisation capabilities.