biowar micro 847

8/3/2019 BioWar Micro 847

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Even if we are spared destruction by war, our lives will haveto change if we want to save life from self-destruction.

-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn


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Objectives

What is Biological Warfare?

History of Biological Warfare

The Microorganisms of Mass Destruction

Prevention and Containment

Lab Exercise


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What is Biological

Warfare?Biological warfare is the use of pathogens such asviruses, bacteria, other disease-causing biologicalagents, or the exotoxins produced by them asweapons

The objective is to use the biological agents toincapacitate or kill individuals or populations

Although biological weapons are potentially usefulto conventional military operations, the greatestlikelihood of biological weapon use is acts ofterrorism.


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Characteristics ofBiological Weapons

1. Easy to produce and

deliver

2. Safe for use and transportby the offensive(delivering) individual

3. Able to incapacitate or killindividuals under attack ina reproducible andconsistent manner E120 Bomblet


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Categories of Agents

Category A agents have ahigh potential for adversepublic health impact and aserious potential for large-

scale dissemination andinclude anthrax, smallpox,plague, botulism, tularemia,and viral hemorrhagic fevers(Ebola virus).

Category B agents aremoderately easy todisseminate and have lowmortality rates. Includes foodsafety and water supplythreats .

Category C agents arepathogens that might beengineered for massdissemination because they

are easy to produce and havepotential for high morbidityor mortality. Agents includeNipah virus, Hantavirus andmulti-drug resistantTuberculosis (MTB).


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History

Almost as soon as humansfigured out how to makearrows, they were dippingthem in animal feces

Original Types

Deliberate poisoning offood and water with

infectious material

Use of microorganisms,toxins or animals, living ordead, in a weapon system

Use of biologicallyinoculated fabrics to poisonthem.


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History in Warfare130 BC, The Roman Empireused animal carcasses tocontaminate their enemies

wells.

In 1346, Tartar forces led byKhan Janibeg attacked thecity of Kaffa, catapultingthe plague-infected bodiesof their own men over the

citys walls.

18th century, Russian troopsfighting Sweden resortedto catapulting plaguedbodies over the city walls ofReval.

In 1915, biological weaponswere first tried on a largescale by Germany at Ypres,France.


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Agents of Biological

WarfarePathogenic bacteria orviruses are potentiallyuseful for biological war

Examples

Bacillus anthracis

Yersinia pestis

Brucella abortus

Clostridium botulinum


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Micro Heavy Hitters:

foodborne pathogensBotulinum toxinClostridium botulinum

Anerobic endosporeforming rods

Food poisoning-exotoxin

Can be delivered to a

population throughdrinking water

Becomes diluted

Salmonella

Salmonella typhimurium

Gram-negative facultativelyaerobic, motile rods

Found in sewage

Salmonellosis

May cause typhoid fever

Typhoid Mary


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Anthrax

Bacillus anthracis

The preferred agent

3 TypesCutaneous anthrax

Gastrointestinal anthrax

Pulmonary anthrax

Pulmonary anthrax-inhaled

endospores or live bacteria,near 100% mortality rate

Weaponized anthrax arestrains usually in endosporeform that enhancedissemination and use as

biological weapons

Treated with broadspectrum antibiotics

Early in September 2001,

the Pentagon announced itwas developing a deadlynew form of anthrax, fordefensive research.


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SARS

The SARS coronavirus(SARS-CoV) originated inbats

Zoonosis

Relatively hardy, easilyspread RNA virus

Person-to-person

Contact with contaminatedformites

SARS epidemic

Originated in China late2002

By February 2003 hadspread to 32 countries

SARS patients werequarantined

Successful internationaleffort to identify andcontrol outbreak


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PreventionHeat Sterilization

High School Senior Discovers Ironing Deactivates Anthrax

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_425621.html

Containment

Quarantine

Surveillance

Drug Treatment

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Select Agent Program surveillance systems to monitorpossession and use of agents

Lab Response Network and Health Alert Network

Large scale production and distribution of vaccines
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_425621.htmlhttp://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_425621.html


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Biological and Toxic

Weapons ConventionIn 1972, 103 countries signedthe Biological and ToxicWeapons Convention.

Article I prohibits thedevelopment of biologicaland chemical weapons, aswell as their use.

Both Russia and Iraq areknown to have developedbiological weapons sincethe convention.

Allows for research fordefense purposes, such asvaccines, against biologicalweapons.

Most recent update 2002following 2001 US anthraxattacks

As of June 2005, there are171 signatories


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Biological Weapons

Convention


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Lab Exercise

Station 1: Microscopy

Station 2: Streak Plate

Stations 3, 4 and 5: HeatSterilization

Station 5: Welcome to Epiville!

http://epiville.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/Interactive Simulation of SARSoutbreak
http://epiville.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/http://epiville.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/


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