AGENCY NAME

Biological and Chemical Weapons

Biological Weapons
Also called “Germ Warfare” because germs or bacteria are main ingredients of many biological weapons. Biological weapons are living, disease causing microorganisms or their toxins. They cause some disease or illness that kills those exposed to it or makes them ill for a period of time. Spread either by adding them to food, water or other products ingested by the intended victims or by aerosol spray. /
Biological Agents / Method of Transmission / Symptoms / Treatment / Comments /
Anthrax / Inhale or Ingest / Develop 1-6 days later
Fever, weakness, fatigue, cough, mild chest pain then severe respiratory distress then heart failure
Without treatment 20% die / High doses of antibiotics.
Prophylactic - Vaccines usually only available to military personnel and researches. Must be taken in 3 doses at 2 week intervals. PPE that filters bacteria before breathed in. / Active in soil many years
Botulism / Inhale or Ingest / Affects CNS, causing paralysis of heart and lungs. Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, blurred or double vision, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Fatality rate is 20-35%. / Treat with Antitoxin for 3 of the 7 types of botulinum toxin. Treatment is supportive care. / Does not last long when exposed to the elements. After 10 minutes, toxins react with other substances in the air and become harmless to humans
Cholera / Ingested contaminated food or water / 1-5 days after exposure. Many infected people act as carriers and quickly spread the bacteria. Vomiting, abdominal pain, excessive diarrhea which causes severe fluid loss. Diarrhea leads to contaminated water supplies and improper sanitation can affect food supplies. / Rehydrating fluids, IV fluids and antibiotics.
Prophylaxis - Vaccine must be administered several weeks before exposure and booster is required every 6 months (only about 50% effective). / People with cholera can lose as much as 10 liters of water per day. Without treatment, die rapidly.
Plague - pneumonic / Spread by infected fleas which bite infected people or rodents then transfer the infection to others. / 2-3 days after exposure. Affect the lungs. High fever, chills, headache, blood poisoning, labored breathing and lack of oxygen. Death from respiratory failure and circulatory collapse / Most effective if started within 24 hours of initial symptoms and must be for the duration of the symptoms and 7 days afterwards. Prophylaxis - vaccine - several doses every 6 months for 2 years. Booster shots required yearly. / No vaccine available for pneumonic plague
Plague - bubonic / Spread by infected fleas, which bite infected people or rodents then transfer the infection to others. / 2-10 days after exposure. Fever, weakness and highly swollen, very painful lymph nodes (called buboes). Then moves to central nervous system or the respiratory system. / Most effective if started within 24 hours of initial symptoms. Prophylaxis - vaccine - several doses every 6 months for 2 years. Booster shots required yearly.
Ricin / Ingested or Aerosol form - acts as cellular toxin - destroys tissues and delicate blood vessels in lungs / 8 hours. Fever, cough, nausea, tightness in chest, profuse sweating, fluid in lungs, reduced BP. Rapidly progresses to respiratory failure and circulatory collapse. / No treatment or antidote; PPE masks may prevent exposure. / Amt of time between inhalation and death depends on dose inhaled. Death usually within 36-72 hours after exposure.
Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) / Ingested or Inhaled / 3-12 hours. Fever, chills, headache, cough and chest pain. Fever may last 2-5 days, cough may persist up to 4 weeks / None / Seldom fatal
Tularemia / Inhaled / 3-5 days after exposure. Fever, headache, chills, chest pain. / Antibiotics. Vaccine will prevent infection but only used on researchers who face high risk of exposure. / Fatality rate much higher than others.
Chemical Weapons
Any substance, whether man-made or naturally occurring, that is used by the military to injure or kill humans. Chemical warfare agents enter the body through inhalation, absorption through the skin or ingestion. Three categories: Harassing agents - like tear gas, are usually not lethal. Lethal agents are usually lethal to their victims. Nerve agents are usually lethal in very small doses. /
Chemical Agents / Method of Transmission / Symptoms / Treatment / Comments /
Phosgene (lethal agent) / aerosol / 2 hours after exposure. Extreme coughing, frothing at the mouth and choking. / Supportive. / During WWI, was responsible for 80% of all deaths from lethal gases.
Hydrogen Cyanide (lethal agent) / Aerosol or absorbed through the skin / restlessness and rapid breathing, giddiness, headache, rapid irregular heart beat and difficulty breathing. Followed by vomiting, convulsions, unconsciousness and respiratory failure. / Low dose exposure - is possible to clean hydrogen cyanide out of the blood using chemicals. Higher level exposure - no treatment / Used in gas chambers in WWII. It has limited use because achieving a toxic level of cyanide gas is difficult to maintain.
Tabun (nerve agent) / absorbed through skin or aerosol - colorless liquid with fruity smell / 10 minutes after exposure. Low dose - constricted pupils, blurred and dimmed vision, chest tightness, difficulty breathing. High dose - drooling, sweating, nausea, vomiting, cramps, twitching, jerking, headache, confusion, drowsiness, convulsions, coma and asphyxiation. / None
Sarin (nerve agent) / absorbed through skin or aerosol / 10 minutes after exposure. Low dose - constricted pupils, blurred and dimmed vision, chest tightness, difficulty breathing. High dose - drooling, sweating, nausea, vomiting, cramps, twitching, jerking, headache, confusion, drowsiness, convulsions, coma and asphyxiation. / None / More deadly than Tabun because much less is needed to be lethal.
Tends to drift above ground for weeks or even months and can affect people for long periods of time.
VX (nerve agent) / aerosol / none listed / None listed / tasteless, odorless liquid. Lethal in very low concentrations. Remains active as a gas for 3-4 weeks after release

*Resource - Biological and Chemical Weapons: The Debate over Modern Warfare@ by Allan Cobb. Pages - 60. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., New York.