4-2: Biological Warfare Flashcards
What is a BW agent?
live microorganism or a toxic compound derived from a biological origin that is intended for use in military operations/acts of terrorism
What are the two categories of biological agents?
Pathogens & Toxins
What is the most effective way to deliver a BW agent?
aerosol
What are the three primary ways a BW agent enters the body?
inhalation, ingestion, and percutaneous (dermal)
What are the categories of pathogens?
bacteria, rickettsiae, viruses, protozoa, prions, fungi
What are the different bacterial diseases?
Anthrax, Tularemia, Plague
How is rickettsia transmitted and what are the different diseases of humans?
vectors (ticks), Typhus/Rocky Mountain spotted fever/Query fever
Is there a vaccine available for typhus?
No
List the human diseases caused by VIRUS
Smallpox, Ebola Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
What are the onset symptoms for small pox?
fever, malaise, headache, severe backache, abdominal pain, vomiting
How is ebola VHF transmitted?
direct contact with infected blood, secretions, organs, or semen
What are the different types of fungi?
mold, mildew, smut, rust, mushrooms, puffballs, yeast
What is an endotoxin?
bacterial toxin that is released after an organism dies
How are toxins categorized?
Source and Effect
What are the different sources of toxins?
Mycotoxins, Bacterial toxins, Algal toxins, Animal venoms, Plant toxins
What areas do mycotoxins affect?
skin, eyes, respiratory system, gut
What animals possess tetrodotoxin?
newt, puffer fish, blue-ringed octopus
What are the categories based on toxin’s physiological effects?
Neurotoxins, Cytotoxins, Enterotoxins, Dermatoxins
Toxins destroy an organism by overwhelming the organism’s ability to rid itself of poison, aka _________. Although they are not living organisms, toxins react with _________ of the human immune system.
intoxication, antibodies
Volatility measures…
how readily an agent evaporates
Delivery methods for BW agents
aerosol, contamination of food/water, injection
Environmental that affect toxin/pathogen aerosols
direct sunlight, humidity (high retards evaporation of wet aerosol, low favorable for spread of dry agents), wind, temp (cold slows growth), atmospheric pollutants (can reduce viability of pathogens)
3 characteristics that determine the suitability of pathogens for use as BW agents
viability (must be able to survive long enough to reach the target), communicability (how it will be transferred from person to person), incubation period (time required for pathogens to establish themselves in the body of the host and produce symptoms)
poisonous compounds produced by fungi, fermentation, aerosol attack in the form of yellow/oily rain
Mycotoxins
exotoxins: released by living organism endotoxins: released when organism dies; botulinum is one of the most potent bacterial toxin (exotoxin)
Bacterial toxin
some fresh/salt water toxins produce this when algae blooms decompose
Algal toxin
less stable than toxins from fungi/plants; tetrodotoxin is from newt/puffer fish/blue rings octopus; palytoxin is produced by a soft coral animal
Animal venoms
Oldest form of biological weaponry from curare/castor bean plant
Plant toxins
interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses, some animal venoms and algal toxins
Neurotoxin
Most powerful neurotoxin
Botulinum, death usually occurs in 24 to 72 hours
cause cellular destruction or interfere with metabolic processes, symptoms resemble chem agents (blistering/choking/vomiting), (i.e. ricin from castor beans)
Cytotoxins
bacterial exotoxins that attack the intestinal tract, symptoms can last long but death rate is low, (SEB: common source of food poisoning outbreaks, resistant to freezing and heat stable, milk)
Enterotoxins
penetrate intact skin, extremely stablish and can persist for years at room temp, can be treated with a topical/anti-vesicant cream
Dermatoxins
What group of toxins are the only type categorized are Dermatoxins?
T-2 mycotoxins
Most common method of transmission for pathogens
vectors
What two pathogens have vaccination requirements mandated by the DOD and who must it be administered to?
Anthrax & Smallpox; CBR response team and any member entering into an area of threat
What characteristics make toxins ideal candidates for use as BW agents?
stability in storage, high toxicity, persistency in environment, ability to be economically produced in large quantities, ability to be released as an aerosol, not detectable
What is anthrax?
infected thru the skin via infected animals/animal products, causes respiratory distress
What is rickettsiae?
smaller than most bacteria, resemble viruses in that they require living tissue for reproduction, but can perform some metabolic processes independently, transmitted by ticks
What is a virus?
submicroscopic, intracellular parasite that lacks a system for own metabolism and must live in the cells of selected hosts, viruses enter a living cell, then take over the biological processes of the cell which can eventually lead to cell death, cause 60% of all infectious diseases
What is protozoa?
single celled organisms that have the ability of locomotion, they are larger than bacteria and live in moist habitats, would most likely be used to contaminate food, examples: amebic dysentery and malaria
What are prions?
can cause neurodegenerative diseases characterized by loss of motor control, dementia, paralysis, wasting, and eventual death; they convert normal proteins into prions, extremely heat resistant to heat and chemicals, example: mad cow disease
