Biological Warfare/Bioterrorism

Question 1

Biological warfare/Bioterrorism is

Answer 1

The deliberate dispersal of infective/toxic agents to kill or incapacitate man/and or to destroy or severely damage livestock, crops and disrupt the food chain

Question 2

Biological warfare is prohibited by

Answer 2

The biological weapons council and the Geneva convention

Question 3

Biological warfare vs Bioterrorism

Answer 3

Bio warfare: used in war (towards armed forces), usually involves nation states

Bioterrorism: used against civilians, state sponsored or extremist groups

Question 4

Targets

Answer 4

1. Armed forces
2. Civilians
3. Livestock
4. Crops

Question 5

Biothreat agents

Answer 5

1. Viruses (smallpox, ebola, influenza, FMDV)
2. Bacteria (anthrax, plague, meliodosis)
3. Fungi (coccidiomycosis, wheat stem rust, rice blast)
4. Toxins (botulism, ricin)

Question 6

Biothreat agents: Smallpox

Answer 6

Virus
Mortality rate between 30-50%
Low infectious dose
Smallpox stocks

Question 7

Biothreat agents: Plague

Answer 7

Caused by bacterium Yersinia pestis
Flea bite transmission causes bubonic plague (not very lethal)
Inhalation causes pneumonic plague (very lethal, almost 100% mortality rate - multi drug resistant strains reported in Madagascar)

Question 8

Properties of biological weapons

Answer 8

1. Low infectious dose (potent)
2. Cheap
3. Easy to produce
4. Difficult to attribute

Question 9

Production

Answer 9

Very easy to grow bacteria, viruses more difficult

Source and properties of strains are a key issue - tightly regulated

Question 10

Cost

Answer 10

1/30 cost of nukes
Chosen by states and groups with limited funding
Not a weapon of choice for advanced nations

Question 11

Potency

Answer 11

Depends on infectious/toxic dose and airborne stability

Plague is 1 billion times more potent than chlorine

Question 12

Bioweapons are likely to be delivered by the

Answer 12

Airborne route

Many pathogens cause more severe disease by this route

Question 13

What affects airborne stability

Answer 13

1. UV radiation
2. Rainfall
3. Temperature
4. Pollutants/airborne chemicals

Question 14

In March 1981 prevailing winds brought

Answer 14

Foot and mouth from Brittany to the UK

Question 15

Attribution

Answer 15

How to distinguish between a natural outbreak, accidental outbreak and deliberate outbreak

Question 16

UK anthrax weapons

Answer 16

1939-45
UK produced anthrax spores to bring down German economy if there was an invasion (livestock)
Bombs containing anthrax tested on Gruinard Island in Scotland
Mid 80s had to decontaminate the island
Late 50s UK bioweapons closed down

Question 17

Russia biological weapons

Answer 17

Russia said they abandoned bioweapons in 50s but
Sverdlosk 1979
Massive outbreak of anthrax - tried to blame it on contaminated sheep
But it was due to an accident at the anthrax drying plant

Question 18

Russia still has

Answer 18

A large arsenal of biological weapons

Question 19

Markov assassination

Answer 19

Bulgarian defected to London
Assassinated on Waterloo bridge in 1978
Stabbed with an umbrella containing a ricin pellet
Died 3 days later
Bulgarian SS carried out this and a large number of other assassinations using these methods

Question 20

Aum Shinrikyo Cult 1993

Answer 20

Japan
Developed and tested bioweapons, especially anthrax
Released over Tokyo (but was wrong strain)
Went on to carry out nerve agent attacks in Tokyo

Question 21

Anthrax in the mail 2001

Answer 21

Sent in US, 19 infected, 5 died
Perpetrators never identified
Spores came from sophisticated laboratory - weapons grade (state sponsored?)
Attribution: Genome sequencing reveal ‘Ames’ strain but very general
Rare spontaneous variants - different colony forms on agar (morphotypes) within Ames strain from different sources
Morphotypes used to distinguish which Ames strain it was
Unique match was stocks held at US army lab by Dr Bruce Ivins (their own lab!) Bruce Ivins committed suicide
Dodgy!!!

Question 22

How to control bioweapons

Answer 22

1. Prohibition of aquisition and production
2. Defensive capability
3. Export controls (pathogens, technologies, equipment)
4. Security of premises with CL3 and CL4 labs
5. Vetting of staff
6. Code of conduct for microbiologists?
7. Refusal to publish papers that aid weapons production?

Question 23

Biological weapons convention 1972

Answer 23

Forbids the development, production and stockpiling of biological weapons
But quite impossible to enforce

Question 24

It is believed that the potential for terrorist use will

Answer 24

Increase