Biological weapon

A biological weapon is a weapon that delivers toxins or pathogens (like bacteria or viruses), with the goal of making people sick or killing them. Biological weapons are also called bio-weapons. Their use in war is called biological warfare.

Parts of a biological weapon
A biological weapon usually has two parts. The first is the biological agent (also called a bio-agent, biological threat agent, or biological warfare agent). This is the pathogen that is meant to make people sick. The second is the delivery system - how the biological agent is going to get to and expose the people it is supposed to infect.

Some bio-agents can be "weaponized" - changed to make them more dangerous. For example, sometimes scientists can change a pathogen's genes so the pathogen is deadlier, and so it will not be killed by usual antidotes or treatments. Some bio-agents can be changed so they are easier to store, spread, or use as weapons.

As of 2016, there are more than 1,200 different kinds of bio-agents that could be made into weapons.

Examples of biological agents
Examples of some biological agents and toxins are listed below. Experts have said that these pathogens could be used as biological weapons. A few already have been used, including anthrax, bubonic plague, smallpox, and ricin.

Bacterial agents

 Pathogen Disease Comments Bacillus anthraces  Anthrax  Was weaponized by the U.S., Soviet Union, and Iraqp. 26 Brucella species  Brucellosis  Brucella suis was the first bio-agent weaponized by the U.S., in 1954;Brucella species easily survive in aerosol form Yersinia pestis  Bubonic or pneumonic plague  Killed 60% of Europe's population in the 1300s.Pneumonic plague is fatal if antibiotics are not given within 1 day after symptoms startp. 55Weaponized by U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War Vibrio cholerae  Cholera  Could be spread by contaminating water supplies Shigella dysenteriae;Some species of Escherichia coli  Dysentery  Could be spread by contaminating food suppliesp. 212 Coxiella burnetii  Q fever  Number of bacteria needed to infect a person is one - the lowest known to manp. 67Can live on surfaces for 60 days, in aerosols, and in many temperaturesWeaponized by U.S. between 1942 and 1969 Francisella tularensis  Tularemia  Very contagious; bacteria are very easy to get because they occur in nature;Weaponized by U.S. between 1942 and 1969 Rickettsia prowazekii  Typhus  High mortality rate if untreated; can be spread by aerosolp. 169 Staphylococcus aureus  Many  Could be spread by contaminating food supplies or by aerosolSome strains (like MRSA) are resistant to antibiotics

Viral agents

 Pathogen Disease Comments Alphaviruses  Many  Can cause many forms of viral encephalitis; very low dose neededfor infection. Easily spread by aerosol.p. 96 Filoviridae and Arenaviridae viruses  Many  Cause viral hemorrhagic fevers, like Ebola virus and Lassa feverCan be spread by aerosol; very high mortality ratesp. 107 Variola major  Smallpox  Very contagious, easily spread through air, mortality rate 20-40%Eradicated in 1970s, but laboratories still have samples

Biological toxins

 Toxin Toxin Comes From: Toxin Causes: Comments Botulinum  Clostridium botulinum  Botulism  One of the deadliest toxins known to exist;Weaponized by U.S. between 1942 and 1969p. 122 Ricin  Castor oil plant  Ricin poisoning  Can be made at home; very toxic by any route of exposure

Examples of delivery systems

In the past, countries have designed many different delivery systems for exposing people to biological agents. These systems have included:
 Bombs, missiles, hand grenades, and rockets, with the biological agent inside
 Tanks that could spray bio-agents from airplanes, cars, trucks, and boats
 Aerosol sprayers
 Brushes to contaminate surfaces with bio-agents
 Ways of contaminating food and clothing

Examples of biological weapons
A biological agent by itself is not enough to make a biological weapon. Neither is a delivery system by itself. A biological weapon has to have both: the bio-agent that is meant to make people sick, and a system to deliver that agent.

Here are a few examples of biological weapons that have been used throughout history.

 Year Bio-Agent Delivery System Used By 1346  Yersinia pests (plague)  Corpses of bubonic plague victims  Tartar army to attack Crimea 1763  Variola major (smallpox)  Blankets from smallpox victims  British soldiers to attack Native Americans 1940s  Yersinia pests (plague)  Plague-infected ticks dropped from airplanes  Japan to attack China during World War IIp. 56 1941  Vibrio cholerae (cholera)  Contaminated food & water  Japan to attack China 2001  Bacillus anthraces (anthrax)  Mailed letters  Terrorists to attack U.S. politicians and news stations 2013  Ricin  Mailed letters  Terrorists to attack U.S. President Obama and a U.S. Senator

Related pages
 Biological warfare
 1925 Geneva Protocol
 2001 anthrax attacks
 Terrorism
 Bioterrorism
 Weapon of mass destruction
 Other websites 
 Biological weapon -Citizendium

References

Category:Biology
Category:Terrorism
Category:Weapons