The Story of Bio-Agents
A bio agent, also known as biological threat agent, biological warfare agent, biological weapon, or bio weapon is a kind of bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite or a fungi group can be used in bio terrorism or biological warfare. Pathogens and bio-toxins can also be included as bio-agents. Biological agents can also affect the human health in a variety of ways, by creating allergic reactions to serious medical conditions, including death. Many organisms are ubiquitous in the natural environment, and can be traced in water, soil, plants, or animals as well. Bio-agents can be used to deploy or disseminate. Some bio-agents can perform genetic modifications that can enhance their incapacitating their lethal entities, by using unconventional treatments. As many bio-agents reproduce rapidly and require minimal resources for propagation, who are in a potential danger in occupational settings.
UN can work on a Convention in the capacity of international treaty to ban the use of stockpiling of bio-agents where every country created a Treaty, for not to use bio-agents against each other. Many countries are using and working on bio-agents as reported in an article from the UN Security Council like China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Taiwan, including India and the USA. Some of the serious threats of bio-agents are mentioned below.
Bacterial bio-agents
| Disease | Causative Agent (Military Symbol) | Comments |
| Anthrax | Bacillus anthracis (N or TR) | Chemically Hazardous |
| Brucellosis (bovine) | Brucella abortus | -do- |
| Brucellosis (caprine) | Brucella melitensis (AM or BX) | -do- |
| Brucellosis (porcine) | Brucella suis (US, AB or NX) | -do- |
| Cholera | Vibrio cholerae (HO) | -do- |
| Diphtheria | Corynebacterium diphtheriae (DK) | -do- |
| Dysentery (bacterial) | Shigella dysenteriae, some species of Escherichia coli (Y) | -do- |
| Glanders | Burkholderia mallei (LA) | -do- |
| Listeriosis | Listeria monocytogenes (TQ) | -do- |
| Melioidosis | Burkholderia pseudomallei (HI) | -do- |
| Plague | Yersinia pestis (LE) | -do- |
| Tularemia | Francisella tularensis (SR or JT) | -do- |
Chlamydial bio-agents
| Disease | Causative Agent (Military Symbol) | Comments |
| Psittacosis | Chlamydophila psittaci (SI) | Hazardous |
Rickettsial bio-agents
| Disease | Causative Agent (Military Symbol) | Comments |
| Q Fever | Coxiella burnetii (OU) | Biologically hazardous |
| Rocky Mountain spotted fever | Rickettsia rickettsii (RI or UY) | -do- |
| Typhus (human) | Rickettsia prowazekii (YE) | -do- |
| Typhus (murine) | Rickettsia typhi (AV) | -do- |
Viral bio-agents
| Disease | Causative Agent (Military Symbol) | Comments |
| Equine Encephalitis (Eastern) | Eastern equine encephalitis virus (ZX) | Chemically hazardous |
| Equine Encephalitis (Venezuelan) | Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis virus (FX) | -do- |
| Equine Encephalitis (Western) | Western equine encephalitis virus (EV) | -do- |
| Japanese B encephalitis | Japanese encephalitis virus (AN) | -do- |
| Rift Valley fever | Rift Valley fever virus (FA) | -do- |
| Smallpox | Variola virus (ZL) | -do- |
| Yellow fever | Yellow fever virus (OJ or LU) | -do- |
Mycotic bio-agents
| Disease | Causative Agent (Military Symbol) | Comments |
| Coccidiomycosis | Coccidioides immitis (OC) | Hazardous |
Biological toxins
| Toxin | Source of Toxin (Military Symbol) | Comments |
| Abrin | Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) | Highly hazardous |
| Botulinum toxins (A through G) | Clostridium botulinum bacteria or spores, and several other Clostridial species. (X or XR) | -do- |
| Ricin | Castor bean (Ricinus communis) (W or WA) | -do- |
| Saxitoxin | Various marine and brackish cyanobacteria, such as Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Lyngbya, and Cylindrospermopsis (TZ) | -do- |
| Staphyloccocal enterotoxin B | Staphylococcus aureus (UC or PG) | -do- |
| Tetrodotoxin | Various marine bacteria, including Vibrio alginolyticus, Pseudoalteromonas (PP) | -do- |
| Trichothecene mycotoxins | Various species of fungi, including Fusarium, Trichoderma, and Stachybotrys | -do- |
Biological vectors
| Vector (Military Symbol) | Disease | Comments |
| Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) (AP) | Malaria, Dengue fever, Chikungunya, Yellow fever, other Arboviruses | Physically hazardous |
| Oriental rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) | Plague, Murine typhus | -do- |
The stimulants are organisms or substances that mimic physical or biological properties of real biological agents, which may not be fully pathogenic. The stimulants are used to study efficiency of various disseminations to cause bioterrorism. To simulate dispersal, attachment or the penetration depth in humans or animal lungs, simulants must have particle sizes, specific weight and surface properties. A typical stimulant (1-5 µm) enables to enter buildings to enter building with closed windows and doors to penetrate into lungs. This can cause serious deformations as well.
