Term
| What is biological warfare? |
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Definition
Use of biological agents to:
-Sicken an army
-sicken and/or panic civilians
-Undermine food supply
-Render areas uninhabitable |
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Term
| What is NOT the goal of biological warfare? |
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Definition
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Term
| What type of biological warfare was used in WWI? |
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Definition
| Attempts to use anthrax to infect animals. Use of toxic gases |
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Term
| What type of biological warfare was used in WWII? |
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Definition
| Toxic gases used in European theatre |
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Term
| When was the biological warfare banned and by who? |
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Definition
| in 1972 by nearly all countries including USSR |
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Term
| What is the cutaneous anthrax infection? |
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Definition
Skin lesions which become a black postulate. Usually heal
Outcome-fatal if organisms invade blood |
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Term
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Definition
Lung infection which leads to septicemia (infection of the blood)
Outcome-fatal |
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Term
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Definition
Intestinal infection caused by eating meat from an infected animal
Outcome-fatal |
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Term
| How long is the incubation period for anthrax? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the spores associated with anthrax? |
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Definition
| The bacteria can survive in these spores and the spores are what are ingested by humans and animals |
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Term
| Methods of production of Anthrax |
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Definition
-Find source ->
Grow organism in broth
-Allow culture to age (form spores)
-Centrifuge organisms out from broth
-Wash and suspend in water
-Freeze-dry organisms-forms powder that can be suspended in air as dust. |
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Term
| 2001 Anthrax terrorist attack |
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Definition
It was enclosed in letter mailed to persons in Florida and in NE USA.
5 Persons died of pneumonic infection |
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Term
| What was the anthrax strain used in the 2001 terrorist attack? |
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Definition
The Ames strain
They think it could have been prepared in a microbiological lab, not in the army biological weapons center |
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Term
| What is the 2010 Bangladesh Anthrax outbreak? |
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Definition
| Associated with Muslin feast day with lots of animal sacrifice |
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Term
| Can antibiotic be used for anthrax? |
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Definition
| It is susceptible to major antibiotics, but relatively easy to make it resistant. |
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Term
| Is a vaccine effective for anthrax? |
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Definition
It is partially effective:
-Used in military
-Not mandatory
-Not fully FDA approved |
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Term
| What is the bacteria associated with the bubonic plague? |
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Definition
| Yersinia pestis-gram negative |
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Term
| How is the bubonic plague spread? |
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Definition
-Spread by fleas which infest rats.
The fleas move to humans
-Pneumonic version transferred from person to person. Usually fatal |
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Term
| Can the bubonic plague survive in soil or water? |
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Definition
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Term
| Can drugs be used against it? |
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Definition
Yes, but could be made resistant
Antibiotics
No vaccine in the US |
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Term
| How is the bubonic plague used as biological warfare? |
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Definition
Contaminates water supply with animal carcasses,
Catapults,
Japan in WWII prisoners
US and Soviet Union |
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Term
| What bacterium is associated with Q fever? |
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Definition
Coxiella burnetii-intracellular bacteria
-One of the most infectious agents knows
infective dose = 1 organism |
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Term
| What are the symptoms of Q-fever? |
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Definition
Acute disease in 1/2 infected
Symptoms:
-malaise
-Severe headache |
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Term
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Definition
Yes, with antibiotics
A vaccine is available in limited supply to at risk individuals |
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Term
| What are some characteristic of Ebola virus? |
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Definition
-Difficult to grow
-Very labile (likely to change)
-Very difficult to contain in lab
-Difficult to spread
-No vaccine but potential for one since patients do recover |
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Term
| Why is small pox looked at as a threat for bioterrorism? |
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Definition
-Contagious, highly fatal
-Eradicated small pox world wide
-Two known repositories:
CDC and Russia
Virus is stable- likely to exist elsewhere
-Highly protective vaccine no longer used |
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Term
| Why is the small pox vaccine no longer used? |
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Definition
-It can lead to systemic infection in immunocompromised persons.
-Younger generations are susceptible
-Older generation has some immunity from childhood vaccination |
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Term
| What is the 1918 influenza virus? |
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Definition
-Recreated from viral fragments found in persons who dies during the 1918 pandemic
-Only handled under high containment |
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Term
| What may the 1918 Influenza virus be a threat for bio terrorism? |
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Definition
| A highly pathogenic influenza virus would be a dangerous weapon because of the rapid spread of influenza. The aggressor could immunize their own personnel. |
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Term
| How might the poliovirus possibly be synthesized? |
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Definition
-A RNA sequence of poliovirus was known
-A copy DNA was synthesized using commercially available materials.
-DNA is capable of inducing a cell system to generate active poliovirus. |
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Term
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Definition
Destroying all stocks of virus is not sufficient to eliminate the virus
BUT
Requires a sophisticated labratory |
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Term
| What is the Ricin Toxin? Why is it lethal? |
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Definition
-A toxin extracted from the castor bean.
-3 ug of inject Ricin would be lethal. More would be required to poison by ingestion
-There is NO antitoxin |
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Term
| Black mold is caused by what fungal toxin? |
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Definition
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Term
| Where was black mold found |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
-They exist in grains which have remained damp after or before harvest.
-Yellow rain (unproven): Fungal toxins used in the Vietnam war?
-Russians have done extensive work on toxins such as black mold. Supplied toxins to vietnam? |
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Term
| Why are fungal toxins like Black mold possible for Bioterrorism? |
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Definition
-Readily made in a simple lab, cheap
-Toxic to skin a respiratory tract
-Stable
-No vaccines |
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Term
| What is foot and mouth disease? |
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Definition
Highly contagious cattle disease, cattle gains weight more slowly.
-Some mortality |
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Term
| Why is foot and mouth disease a possibility for bioterrorism if it doesn't infect humans? |
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Definition
| It would cause great economic impact |
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Term
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Definition
| Disease which affect major crops (wheat, soybeans, corn, and fruits). |
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Term
| Why are plant diseases a possibility for bioterrorism? |
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Definition
There is a continuous race between new plant varieties and evolving plant pathogens.
Introduction of a virulent plant pathogen could disrupt food production. |
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Term
| What contribution do drugs have in the fight against bioterrorism? |
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Definition
Antibiotics are stockpiled at strategic locations.
Problem: Antibiotic resistance is easily engineered. |
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Term
| How can control over diagnosis help the fight against bioterrorism? |
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Definition
-Major effort to develop rapid diagnostics
-Detect environmental contamination |
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Term
| How can containment help the fight against bioterrorism? |
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Definition
-Localized quarantines
-Closing of public buildings
-Person in contact with index case can be isolated, prophylaxed, immunized. |
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Term
| Prevention of spread to fight against bioterrorism |
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Definition
-Accumulated small pox to immunize US population
-Other vaccines are being accumulated |
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Term
| How many total human pathogens are there? |
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Definition
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Term
| How many emerging new species have there been since 1975? |
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Definition
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Term
| Emerging diseases-biological consideration |
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Definition
-Microbial adaptation and change
-Human susceptibility
-Climate and weather
-Changing ecosystems
-Human demographics and behavior
-Human migrations |
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Term
| Emerging diseases-Social considerations: |
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Definition
-Economic development and land use
-International travel and commerce
-Technology and industry
-Breakdown of public health measures
-Poverty and social inequality
-War and famine
-Lack of political will
-Intent to harm |
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