BW History

Question 1

Why are biological weapons unique?

Answer 1

made up of pathogenic organisms that reproduce and cause infection in a large number of hosts; inexpensive; dual use; depend on dissemination and dispersion; can be destroyed by external forces

Question 2

What is a biological agent?

Answer 2

Microorganisms and toxins that could be used for manufacturing
biological weapons

Question 3

What are biological formulations?

Answer 3

Compositions that include pathogenic biological agents or toxins and
other components to increase the effectiveness of biological weapons

Question 4

What are biological weapons?

Answer 4

Weapons that are based on pathogenic microorganisms or toxic
substances of biological origin, formulated in such a way that they are
capable of disabling or/and killing people and livestock, as well as
munitions and delivery systems for deployment

Question 5

Examples of biological agents?

Answer 5

bacteria, virus, toxin

Question 6

What are pathogens?

Answer 6

microorganism that causes a disease in a host; can be a virus, bacteria, fungi and can infect humans or plants; produce toxins

Question 7

Types of toxins

Answer 7

exotoxis - released from pathogen; endotoxins - remain inside until the pathogen dies and disintegrates

Question 8

What is virulence?

Answer 8

the ability of a pathogen to cause disease and depends on the invasiveness and toxigencitiy of an organism

Question 9

Levels of invasiveness

Answer 9

ability to grow well within the body and build up, widespread generalized infection; unable to grow but can still be virulent if it produces toxin

Question 10

How to measure virulence?

Answer 10

cell culture, animals, humans; ID and LD50

Question 11

Clinical phases of infection

Answer 11

infection, incubation, prodromal period, acute period, decline period, convalescent period

Question 12

What is the incubation period?

Answer 12

the time between infection and the

appearance of disease symptoms

Question 13

What is the prodromal period?

Answer 13

a short period following incubation in

which first symptoms appear

Question 14

what is the acute period?

Answer 14

the period when the disease is at its height

Question 15

Choices to examine when making weapons?

Answer 15

BWef = F {A, D, F, M, MT} - choice of agent, deployment method, formulation, manufacturing process, meterological & terrain

Question 16

What to consider in choosing an agent?

Answer 16

Bacteria, virus, toxin; contagious; incapacitating or letal; mortality dose

Question 17

Choices to examine with attack efficiency?

Answer 17

Aef = f{Do, Co, St, TS} - concentration, dose, stability, target susceptibility

Question 18

What to examine when considering Co = concentration

Answer 18

processing, liquid slurry/power, size of material, number of organisms, biological decay

Question 19

Things to consider with TS

Answer 19

naive population, type/location of target, vaccines, personal protective equipment

Question 20

Methods of deployment of BW

Answer 20

infected vectors, contamination of food/water, various articles, aerosols, explosive dissemination, infect crops

Question 21

Factors affecting efficacy

Answer 21

concentration, contact time, pH, temp, light, presence of other materials = external

Question 22

Size of aersol particle to get stuck in the eye

Answer 22

18-20 microns

Question 23

Size of aersol particle to get stuck in the pharynx

Answer 23

15-18 microns

Question 24

Size of aersol particle to get stuck in the trachea

Answer 24

7-12 microns

Question 25

Size of aersol particle to get stuck in the bronchiiole

Answer 25

4-6

Question 26

Size of aersol particle to get stuck in the alveolus

Answer 26

1-3 microns

Question 27

Differences between biological and chemical weapons

Answer 27

more toxic and higher contagion potential; bio unstable; sual use nature and clandestine activities; limited treatment w/ anitbiotics/virals/vaccines; bioweapons are strategic

Question 28

Issues with the Geneva Protocol

Answer 28

prohibits use of chem/bio weapons but not research and development; can't verify or enforce compliance; countries refuse to sign

Question 29

Unit 731

Answer 29

Japan, during WWII and practices biowarfare against china; human test subjects, posioned Soviet water sources, dropped bags with plague infested fleas in China

Question 30

Iraqi program 1980s

Answer 30

Accelerated in 1990s; 1991 - weaponized anthrax, botulinum toxin,flatoxin and had bombs and missiles armed with the toxins

Question 31

Soviet Union Biowarefare History

Answer 31

largest biological weapons program in the world at the Leningrad Military Academy and Solovetsky Island; suspected of using tularemia and thypus, Q fever; capable of deploying weapons in 1956; 1980 - massive expansion of offensive program

Question 32

What is Biopreparat

Answer 32

created in 1973, Rusians agency for bioweapons

Question 33

What was Sverdlovsk

Answer 33

outbreak of anthrax in 1979 killing 70 and only allowed us to visit in 1992

Question 34

End of Soviet BW program?

Answer 34

1990 - Biopreparat capacity destroyed; 1992 - Yeltsin banned offensive bioweapons and cut funding

Question 35

Agents likely to be used by Soviets

Answer 35

Smallpox, Plague, Anthrax, Botulism, VEE, Tularemia, Q Fever, Malburg, Flu, Melioidosis, Typhus