Bioterrorism

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The threat of Bioterrorism focuses attention on overall preparedness to address the challenges posed by new and reemerging infectious diseases.

What is a Biological Weapon?

The perfect biological organism or biologically derived bioactive substance (BDBS) for use as a weapon should have the following characteristics:

Highly infectious; requiring only a few organisms to cause the desired effect (e.g. smallpox) or highly effective; requiring a small quantity of material to cause the desired effect (e.g. botox).
Efficiently dispersible, usually in the air; contagious or effective on contact.
Readily grown and produced in large quantities.
Stable in storage; preferably in a ready-to-deliver state.
Resistant enough to environmental conditions so as to remain infectious or operational long enough to affect the majority of the target, but not so persistent as to affect the occupying army.
Resistant to treatment; e.g. antibiotics, antibodies, pharmaceutical drugs etc.

Causative agents of Bioterrorism

Approaching towards tackling Bioterrorism:
Vector Borne Diseases

Phase I: Data-basing of indigenous parasites/pathogens and vectors

Surveillance and data-basing of indigenous parasites/pathogens and vectors and their geographical distribution
Identification of parasites/pathogens and vectors having potential as bioweapons
Assessment of their relative risks; highly pathogenic v/s less pathogenic vis-a-vis damage.
Documentation of exotic parasites/pathogens and vectors with potential as bioweapons.

Phase II: Differentiation of Exotic and indigenous parasites/pathogens and vectors: Data Base.

Differentiation of exotic parasites/pathogens and vectors from indeigenous ones. Information base establishment.

Morphological
Serological and
Molecular data-basing of exotic and indigenous parasites/pathogens and vectors.
Development of protocols for collection, packing, transportation, processing and safe disposal of suspected materials.

PhaseIII: Infra-structure development and establishment:

Development/establishment of diagnosic techniques for parasites/pathogens and vectors.

PCR assays: Listing of primers, synthesis and reagent banking: PCR and reference (+ve and -ve) reagents and other essential chemicals.
Optimization of PCR assays.
Institution/Organization Indentification, Human resource Development and Net-working
Establishment of Biosafety facilities: P3 and P4 facilities according to level of risk involved, to handle high-risk pathogens/parasites.