Biological weapon Bioterrorism Biological war 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention; signed and ratified by 140

0 nations, Potential ideal biological weapon agent: Cheap to produce Easily produced Possibility to use in form of aerosol Resistant to sunshine exposition Resistant to dessication and temperature Able to cause disease or death Not preventable and not treatable Spread also from human-to-human

NATO LIST OF AGENTS 31 pathogens, 3 categories according to CDC A. High-priority agents; - easily disseminated / transmitted from person-to-person - high mortality, major public health impact -cause public panic and social disruption Smallpox virus (variolavirus) Bacillus anthracis Yersinia pestis Clostridium botulinum Francisella tularensis Ebola, Marburg Lassa, Junin

B. Second-highest priority agents - moderately easy to disseminate - moderate morbidity, low mortality Coxiella burnetii Brucella spp. Burkholderia mallei alphaviruses (encephalitis viruses) ricin toxin epsilon-toxin of C.perfringens staphylococcal enterotoxin Salmonella Shigella dysenteriae E.coli O157:H7 V.cholerae Cryptosporidium parvum

+ agents spead by food or water

C. Emerging pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination in the future - availability - ease of production - potential for high morbidity and mortality NipahHantatick-borne encephalitis viruses yellow fever virus multidrug R M.tuberculosis

Genetically modified m.o. - of R and virulence

WAY OF USE: Aerosol inhalation (also toxins) Contaminated food / water ingestion Infected vectors DETECTION: Rapid; in field Specialised laboratories (BSL-3 and 4) Samples of - air - soil - water / food - infected people / animals - vectors