Biological warfare

1. Biological warfare G.Mathan Assistant Professor

2. Definition • Biological warfare (BW) is the use of organisms that cause disease to harm or kill an adversary’s military forces, population, food or livestock. • Living organic germs, like anthrax, are a major example of biological weapons. • Byproducts of organisms, such as toxins. An example is botulinum. • Biological agents are much deadlier, pound for pound, than chemical agents. It has been estimated that 10 grams of anthrax could kill as many people.

3. History • Use of biological agents - 3 major forms 1. deliberate poisoning of food or water 2. use of µ orgs, toxins or animals, living or dead, in a weapon system 3. biologically inoculated fabrics • 1100 BC;- Offensive use of flame. The book of Judges 15:4, states that Samson caught 300 foxes, attached firebrands to them and set them out among the fields of the Philistines to burn their crops.

4. 600 BC;-Solon, the legislator of the Athenians, contaminated the River Pleisthenes with hellebores (skunk cabbage) to give the defenders of Kirrha violent diarrhea leading to their defeat. This is the first recorded use of plants as a source of chemicals for warfare.

5. 431-404 BC;- Peloponnesian War. The first recorded use of poisonous and suffocating gases. During the siege of the cities of Platea and Pelium, the Spartans used wood, saturated with pitch and sulfur, set afire to produce sulphur dioxide gas. A sudden rain made the first attack fail but five years later the same type of attack was a complete success. • 200 BC;- A Carthaginian general ordered a retreat, leaving behind a large quantity of wine poisoned with mandragora, a root containing a narcotic. After the enemy soldiers drank the wine and fell asleep the Carthaginians returned and massacred them.

6. Romans – threw dead animals into the enemies water supply • Effect on the enemy • A weakened enemy is easier to conquer • Demoralization of the enemy weakens their will to fight. • Plague of Justinian, 542-543 A.D. • Killed nearly 70,000 people in Constantinople. • At its peak, 10,000 people died each weak

7. French & Indian War, 1754-1763 • British act of good will gave blankets to the American Indians. • Blankets came from hospitals where they were originally used by smallpox victims.

9. Modern Biological Warfare • The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) conducts research to develop strategies, products, information, procedures, and training programs for medical defense against biological warfare threats and infectious diseases.

10. Modern Biological Warfare • Soviet Union denied any research into BW weapons. • In 1979, and explosion at a plant in Sverdlosk was followed by a massive outbreak of anthrax. • 1992 Boris Yeltsin declares that the government is no longer doing BW research.

11. Biological Weapons Convention • 1972 Biologic & toxic Weapons Convention – ban on production & stockpiling of microbes and their toxic products except for peaceful research in allowed quantities • 1991 after Persian Gulf War, Iraq revealed to UN - store 19000 l of botulinum – 10000l loaded into weapons

12. Biological Weapons • Ideal characters – high infectivity, high potency, non availability of vaccines , & delivery as an aerosol – easy to acquire , process and use • Delivery –aerosol sprays -in artillery missiles and explosives - food or water - direct contact • Detection : medical diagnosis ,- animals should nt be overlooked – doctors see unusual symptoms in large no. of cases - report to public health officials • Protection - PPE – military gas masks, HEPA masks -clothing - wash & take bath removes 99.99% -medical protection –gloves , gowns etc,. -Antibiotics & vaccines

13. Countries With or Suspect of Having BW Programs • China • Taiwan • North Korea • Iraq (DNF) • Syria • Egypt • Iran • Cuba • Israel • former Soviet States • USA • Japan

14. Biological Warfare Targets • Targets • Humans: soldiers, civilian • Commercial animals • Commercial plants • Environmental systems • Purpose: weaken, terrify or punish the enemy to a degree which induces them to comply with the attacker’s demands

15. Biological Warfare Agent Categories • Viruses • Ebola, Hanta Virus, and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis(VEE) • Bacteria • Vibrio cholera, Yersinia pestis, Bacillus anthracis, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus • Clostridium perfringens, C. botulinum, C. tetani • Biological Derived Bioactive Substances • Botulinum and perfringens toxins • Genetically modified agents

16. Genetically Modified Agents • Within our ability to produce • Unconfirmed reports • Russian anthrax that renders the US anthrax vaccine useless • Smallpox and Venezuelan equine encephalitis recombinant

17. Bacteria Anthrax Plague Tularemia Q-Fever Cholera Brucellosis Anthrax • B. anthracis - domestic & wild – goat , cattle, horses, sheep, swine • Humans affected by contact- mainly by skin • Apart from BW it is rare • Symptoms : swelling , bleeding & tissue death at site of infection - 1-5 days after expo pimple like sores appear - fever, tiredness., headaches • open sores – turn blackish • ( Greek – ‘anthrakos’ – coal)

18. Diagnosis : - biopsy of sore, - chest x ray - blood culture - PCR, & ELISA • Treatment : ciprofloxacin, doxycycline , penicillin – FDA approved antibiotics for anthrax – 60 day treatment to prevent recurrence Vaccination – 6 injections – 18 months – boosters every year

19. Tularemia • Francisella tularensis – humans & animals • G W McCay discovered it in Tulare county, California • 1st case 1914 – Edward Francis described transmission by deer flies via infected blood , coined ‘ Tularemia’ in 1921 • Can infect many if dispersed through aerosol route • Rabbits and ticks spread it most commonly in N America • Through breaks in skin, mucous membranes of eye , respiratory tract, or GIT

20. Symptoms : 2 forms – • Ulceroglandular (75% cases) – skin sore on muc mem ; large lymph nodes • Typhoidal (25% cases) – no skin sores ; smaller lymph nodes fever , chills , headache, muscle aches, chest pain, joint pain, vomitting, sore throat etc,. • Diagnosis : blood tests, bio tests with sputum and blood samples, etc,. • Treatment : 14 days course of streptomycin; gentamycin too preferred. • Human to human spread is unusual

21. Viruses Small pox Monkey pox Viral encephalitides & haemorrhagic fevers Small pox • Variola virus - highly infectious – associated with high death rate & 2° spread • Imp cause of illness and death in large populations until recent times , when WHO declared it wiped out – last case in somalia in 1977 • highly infective when released into air • Env stable , retains infectivity for long – xplies in respiratory tract • After 7-17 days spreads into bloodstream – lymph nodes – then to smaller blood vessels ( esp below skin) – inflammatory changes - classic small pox rash

22. 2 types – Variola major( death in 30%) & minor( death in 1 %) • V. major – 7-17 days incubation; begis acutely with high fever, headache , chills, aches , vomitting, delirium ; rashes on face, hands & forearms, trunk and then lower body parts • Spreads by coughing sneezing or by direct contact • Small pox diff from chicken pox – diagnosis- • Treatment : affected individuals isolated for 17 days- vaccination – antivirals like cidofovir

23. Viral haemorrhagic fevers • Caused by 4 viral families 1. Arenaviridae (Lassa, Brazilian, Venezuelan fevers) 2. Bunyaviridae (Rift valley , Hantaan) 3. Filoviridae ( Ebola, Marburg) 4. Flaviviridae ( yellow fever, dengue) Ebola • 1st recognised in Zaire -1976 • 92% of affected people die- effective as respiratory aerosols • Survive in blood for long time • Diagnosis : travel history – expo to rodents , mosquitoes, slaughtered horses etc,.

24. Symptoms :blood vessel damage , fever, aches, exhaustion, infection in eyes, low blood pressure ,etc,. • Treatment : -aimed at easing the discomfort of the patient, sedatives are helpful ; - no to aspirin as it could worsen bleeding; doctors don’t use IV -effective treatment within 7 days

25. Toxins Staphylococcal enterotoxinB (SEB) Ricin Botulinum Mycotoxins SEB • Most common cause of food poisoning • Affects within 24 hrs • Symptoms : nausea, diarrhoea, vomitting, fever , chills, shortness of breath, chest pain etc,. • If severe , could lead to toxic shock and even death • Diagnosis : lab tests , chest x-ray, nasal swabs within 12 – 24 hrs • Treatment : oxygenation & hydration ( ventilator)

26. Botulinum • Most deadly toxin known • Easy to manufacture and weaponise • By inhalation or through contaminated food • 7 subtypes (A-G) • Symptoms : occur after hrs to several days after expo – initially blurred vision, dilated pupils, difficulty in swallowing, speaking, altered voice & muscle weakness – paralysis after 24 -48 hrs • Treatment : most serious complication is respiratory failure, hence ventilator is required.. Antitoxin from CDC • Prevention : toxoid to immunise military troops in Persian Gulf War

29. Agroterrorism • BW also to target plants, destroy crops or defoliate vegetation.. • US & Britain discovered so called plant growth regulators during WWII • Wheat blast & rice blast weaponised in spray tanks & cluster bombs – delivered to enemy water sheds to initiate epiphytotics. It is caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae • Release of Meditteranean fruit flies in California

30. Advantages of Biological Weapons • “The poor countries nuclear bomb” • Estimated that a biological arsenal can be created in a single room requiring only a $10,000 investment in equipment and supplies. • Certainly $100,000 will buy a country a major BW program • Easily camouflaged • Cultures readily hidden or destroyed • Laboratories no different from medical research laboratories working on cures for diseases

31. Advantages of Biological Weapons • Large quantities can be produced in a short period of time. • Lower level of technical training required • Access to biological agents

32. Biggest Advantage • Killing efficiency • Depending on the toxin, approximately 1 gram can kill 10 million people. • Botulinum toxin is 3 million times more potent than Sarin (Sarin, or NATO designation GB (G-series, 'B'), is a highly toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound. A colorless, odorless liquid, it is used as a chemical weapon due to its extreme potency as a nerve agent.) • Cost effectiveness • To affect 1 sq. km would cost approximately $2000 using conventional weapons, $800 using nuclear weapons, $600 using chemical weapons, and $1.00 using biologics.

33. Disadvantages • Worker safety – production, weapon loading, delivery. • Quality control and containment at the production site. • Effective delivery mechanism. • Difficulty in maintaining weapon ready state • Unpredictable control when released

34. Prevention • all classical bio weapons are animal diseases, except small pox.. Hence… • Anthrax breakout – sheep became ill as far as 200 km from release point • Good surveillance system of clinicians and veterinarians • Availability of laboratories and test facilities • A good pool of knowledge about the virulence of various organisms • Vaccines, medicines, antidotes…

35. Thank you!!!

36. Acknowledgement • The Presentation is being used for educational and non commercial purpose • Thanks are due to all those original contributors and entities whose pictures used for making this presentation.