1.

BIOTERRORISM
2. INTRODUCTION Advances in DNA technology has led to its issue in the field of
forensics. The use of DNA has recently found strong acceptance as a means of
identifying individuals: in legal cases such as identification of victims, in rape
cases and paternity testing; medical diagnostics; determining evolutionary
relationships and genetic diversity and relationships between different plant and
animal species, and; forensic archaeology. DNA identification of individuals,
termed DNA profiling or DNA fingerprinting, uses the 0.1 - 1% difference in the
DNA content of humans to generate a unique identification tag, or fingerprint, for
an individual. However, developments in recombinant DNA techniques have
brought with it the dangers of producing superbugs for use as biological
weapons.
....to identify biological agents with potential as biological weapons. ....the
students should be able to have an idea on the history of biological warfare. 3.
OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson....
4. WHAT IS BIOTERRORISM? Bioterrorism is a type of warfare that makes use of
biological agents (biological weapons) to inflict harm to the enemy. Biological
weapons use toxins or chemicals produced by microorganisms, plants or animals.
Infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, protozoans or fungi are intentionally
used to inflict harm to others. These agents are invisible and microscopic, yet,
deadly.
5. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE Poisons from plants were used to contaminate
drinking and bathing wells of enemies. 6TH CENTURY BC To conquer South
America, natives were given gifts and clothing laden with virus. 5TH CENTURY BC
6. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE Threw earthen pots with serpents to the enemies.
4TH CENTURY BC Hurl plague-ridden dead over the walls of the city. 1346
7. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE Presented Native Americans with blankets and
handkerchiefs contaminated with smallpox. 1763 Infecting ponds with carcasses
of dead animals. 1860-1865
8. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE Alleged cholera organism spread in Italy by
Germans. 1914-1917 Geneva protocol banned biological weapons and Japan
refused to accept the ban. 1925
9. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE A Japanese, a physician and an army officer began
experiments on biological warfare and troops invade Manchuria with such
weapons. 1932 Field testing of biowarfare on Chinese soldiers and civilians,
cholera, anthrax etc. 1936
10. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE Plague bacteria released in Chuhsien and Ninpo,
Chinhua. 1940-1941 British experimented with anthrax off Scottish coast. 1941
11. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE US studies on the defense from biological warfare
with camps in Maryland, Mississippi and later in Utah. 1941-1943 The US
announced its involvement in biological weapons research. 1946
12. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE Vietcongs used fecally contaminated spear traps
during the Vietnam War. 1960's A virus and a rickettsiae production plant was
constructed. 1964

13. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE US President Richard Milhous Nixon renounced

biological warfare and limited the research to defense measures only. 1969-1970
Anti-biological warfare advocates. 1970-present
14. BIOTERRORISM TIMELINE Iraqi authorities acknowledged that they had 100
botulinum toxins, 50 anthrax. 16 aflatoxin bombs, 13 botulinum toxin, 10
anthrax, and 2 aflatoxin Scud missile warheads, 122-mm rockets filled with
anthrax, botulinum and aflatoxin. 1995
15. 17 COUNTRIES THAT ARE INSPECTED OF MANUFACTURING BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS Bulgaria Egypt Iraq South Korea Russia Taiwan China Cuba India Iran
Israel North Korea South Africa Libya Laos Syria Vietnam
16. TERRORISTS MAY USE Anthrax Salmonella Smallpox Hemorrhagic Fever
Typhoid E. Coli Pneumonic Plague Diptheria Ricin Dengue Fever Cobra Venom
Haemophilus influenzae Tuberculosis Aflatoxin Malaria Bubonic Plague Yellow
Fever Botulinum Toxin Tularemia Cholera
Very deadly Difficult to trace Easy to multiply and maintain Simple
laboratory techniques are required for preparation of these agents and may not
require sophisticated apparatus Invisible and microscopic 17. WHY USE
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS? These are the characteristics of agents used as
biological weapons:
Problems of acquisition for highly-restricted microbes. Requires confirmation
that the strains are pathogenic or disease-causing Problem of dispersal and
attack, difficult to deploy Living organism may be destroyed when incorporated
into bombs and missiles (by heat) High risk of worker being contaminated 18.
DISADVANTAGES OF BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS Even though it is advantageous for
them to use biological weapons, there are also disadvantages of using biological
weapons. These are the disadvantages of using biological weapons to those who
are involved in preparing the agents:
19. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE ANTHRAX Anthrax usually affects
livestock and is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The bacterium
produces spores that make toxin which can be fatal to man and animals. Several
of the advantages of using anthrax as a biological weapon are that the tough
spores survive delivery via bombs and they are relatively easy to obtain.
Furthermore, anthrax is estimated to cause 95,000 deaths and 125,000
casualties.
20. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE ANTHRAX B. anthracis is a rod-shaped
Gram-positive spore-forming and non-motile facultative aerobe. The spores
produced are invisible, colorless and tasteless; it takes less than a speck of dust
to make a person ill. It is also highly resistant to heat, cold, radiation,
dessication, and disinfectants. Spores need oxygen to sporulate and produce a
polypeptide capsule (polyglutamic acid) which protects the bacterium from host
defenses and phagocytosis.
21. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE ANTHRAX There are three forms of
anthrax, all of which are treatable with antibiotics: Cutaneous anthrax - the
bacterium enters a cut in the skin, resulting to skin sores with characteristic
black center. Intestinal anthrax - bacterium ingested from meat of infected

animal causes inflammation of the intestines, vomiting of blood and severe

diarrhea. Inhalation anthrax - infects the lungs; cold or flu-like symptoms develop
initially, with fatigue, low grade fever and dry cough, later developing into high
fever and pneumonia.
22. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE SMALLPOX Smallpox is a highly
contagious viral disease caused by the virus Variola. Considered to be an ancient
killer, it has been eradicated through worldwide vaccination. Known stocks of
virus exist in only two World Health Organization (WHO) laboratories but may be
in the hands of terrorists. Signs and symptoms include high fever, tiny pus-filled
blisters on the face, arms and legs. There is no proven treatment and the disease
can kill within weeks, fatal in about 30% of cases. However, a vaccine is
available which can lessen the severity of the disease.
23. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE PLAGUE Also known as the "Black
Death" in the Middle Ages, the pestilence spread across Asia and Europe and
killed a third of the world's inhabitants at that time, about 20-30 million people. It
is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium found in rats, squirrels and wild dogs.
Antibiotics can be used to prevent it unlike before.
24. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE PLAGUE There are three types of
plague. Bubonic plague - most common type of plague caused by biting of rats,
squirrels and other rodents, which kills within 4-6 days. Pneumonic plague - type
of plague wherein the infection moves to the lungs. Septicemic plague - type of
plague wherein the bacterium grows in the blood. This type of plague is the most
deadly.
25. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE BOTULISM Botulism is a muscle
paralyzing disease caused by the toxin made by the bacterium Clostridium
botulinum that can kill within 24 hours and can be obtained from improperly
canned foods or fish. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, double vision and difficulty to swallow. The Center for Disease Control
(CDC) keeps an antidote to botulinum toxin in storage; a penicillin treatment can
also be used. An experimental vaccine exists but since the disease is too rare,
immunization is not done.
26. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE TULAREMIA Also known as "Rabbit
Fever". It is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, it is acquired by
coming in contact with blood or body fluids from infected animals such as rabbits
and squirrels mostly, and from the bite of a fly or tick that carries blood of an
infected animal or from contaminated food. It can be contacted by being inhaled.
Tularemia causes fever, headache, chills, weakness, and ulcerated sore when
bitten by the tick, resulting in enlarged and tender nodes. On the other hand, the
disease can be obtained through contaminated water resulting to mouth and
throat sores, vomiting and diarrhea; it can also affect lungs leading to
pneumonia.
27. COMMON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN USE RICIN Ricin is a poison derived from
castor bean plants, the same beans used to make castor oil. Ingestion of
poisoned food or contaminated water supply can cause intestinal bleeding and
organ damage. It can be turned into an aerosol and can contaminate by
inhalation causing severe respiratory problems and damaged lungs. No anti-ricin
vaccine or antidote exists, possessing a serious threat as a biological weapon.

28. REVIEW YOUR NOTES FOR 5 MINUTES AND AFTER REVIEWING, A SHORT 10ITEM QUIZ WILL BE GIVEN.
29. QUIZ 1. What is the common use of DNA in introduction? 2. What do you call
the type of warfare that makes use of biological agents (biological weapons) to
inflict harm to the enemy? 3. Give 3 biological weapons that terrorists could
potentially use. (3 pts) 4. Anti-biological warfare advocates started in what year?
5. What are the 5 common biological agents in use? (5 pts)
30. QUIZ 6. Give 3 countries that were inspected of manufacturing biological
agents. (3 pts) 7. Natives of South America were given gifts and clothings with
virus in order to conquer the place. This was done in what century BC? 8. Cholera
became rampant in Italy and the organism was spread by the Germans to defeat
Italy. This was done in the year ______-______. (2 pts) 9. This biological agent is
caused by the virus Variola. Blisters are one of the signs of having this disease.
10. In ____-____(1 pt), _________ had renounced biological warfare and the
research was limited to defense measures only.
31. ANSWERS
32. ANSWERS 1. Identifying individuals in crimes 2. Bioterrorism/Biowarfare 3. 4.
1970 5. Annthrax, smallpox, plague, botulism, tularemia, ricin 6. 7. 5th 8. 19141917 9. Smallpox 10. 1969-1970; Richard Milhous Nixon GO TO TABLE GO TO
TABLE
33. ANSWERS 1. Identifying individuals in crimes 2. Bioterrorism/Biowarfare 3. 4.
1970 5. Anthrax, smallpox, plague, botulism, tularemia, ricin 6. 7. 5th 8. 19141917 9. Smallpox 10. 1969-1970; Richard Milhous Nixon GO TO TABLE GO TO
TABLE
34. ANSWERS 1. Identifying individuals in crimes 2. Bioterrorism/Biowarfare 3. 4.
1970 5. Annthrax, smallpox, plague, botulism, tularemia, ricin 6. 7. 5th 8. 19141917 9. Smallpox 10. 1969-1970; Richard Milhous Nixon GO TO TABLE GO TO
TABLE
35. THANK YOU!