BIO WARFARE

BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL AGENTS

Anthrax is an efficient killer, it’s victims being made to suffer the agony of having a sudden onset of difficulty in breathing, profuse sweating, [cyanosis], shock and death within 36 hours. In most cases, the symptoms improve after a few hours but the patient begins to deteriorate rapidly soon after. It takes around three excruciating days for the bacteria to destroy the membranes of your lungs and intestines

A minor scratch or abrasion, usually on an exposed area of the face or neck or arms, is infected by spores from the soil or a contaminated animal or carcass. The spores germinate, vegetative cells multiply, and a characteristic [gelatinous edema ] develops at the site. This develops into papule within 12-36 hours after infection. The papule changes rapidly to a vesicle, then a pustule, and finally into a necrotic ulcer from which infection may disseminate, giving rise to septicemia. Lymphatic swelling also occurs within seven days. In severe cases, where the blood stream is eventually invaded, the disease is frequently fatal.

Unlike chemical agents like Cyanide which disperse over time, Anthrax [spores] can survive in soil, water and elsewhere for as long as 40 years and is highly resistant to eradication. They can only be killed by steam sterilization or burning, but not by disinfectants. An infection of wild stock populations could follow a biological attack with spores. The infected animals could then pass on the disease to people.

An Anthrax Vaccine does exist and it is at present produced under contract to the Department of Defense. The immunization consists of three injections given two weeks apart followed by three additional shots given at 6, 12, and 18 months. Annual booster injections of the vaccine are required to maintain a protective level of immunity. This particular method is effective when dealing with Anthrax contacted through the skin and is believed to be effective against inhaled spores in the case of a biological warfare attack.

For those unvaccinated individuals, antibiotics like penicillin is known to lessen the severity of the illness, two million units every two hours administered [intervenously]. It was formerly thought that inhaled spores are 100% fatal despite treatment but monkeys exposed to Anthrax spores have responded successfully to antibiotics, implying that antibiotic therapy may be useful in a biological warfare setting.

Exposed clothing and materials should be burnt and exposed hair thoroughly shampooed. Exposed surfaces may be washed with 10% formaldehyde in water, chloride solution, 3% hydrogen peroxide or 3% peracetic acid. Food contamination would require prolonged sterilization to ensure the safety of all animal and food products.

Anthrax has been favored by terrorists since the start of this century, mainly because it is easy to create (all one needs is a lab and the proper bacteria cultures) and can be used to infect food supplies which can then pass on the bacteria to thousands of people.

For instance, in 1915, Dr Anton Dilger, a noted German-American Physician, established a small biological agent production facility at his northwest Washington, DC home. Using cultures of Bacillus Anthracis (Anthrax) and Pseudomonas Mallei (Glanders) supplied by the Imperial German government, Dilger produced an estimated liter or more of liquid agent. He reportedly passed the agent and a standard inoculation device to dock workers in Baltimore who used them to infect a reported 3500 horses, mules and cattle destined for the Allied troops who were waging World War 1. Several Hundred military personnel were infected.

Today, Anthrax is more popular than ever because of its low cost of production and the fact that it can easily be mass-produced. What is even more disturbing is the ease with which Anthrax can be weaponized. It is extremely stable and can be stored for long periods of time as a dry powder and can thus be loaded in a freeze dried state into munitions or aerosol with crude sprayers.

Some scientists maintain that Anthrax is even more dangerous than chemical agents like Sarin. In theory, if the spores were distributed appropriately, a single gram could kill one third of the US population. They were quick to point out though that an attack of such a magnitude would technically not be feasible but more realistic small scale scenarios still pose huge casualties.

It has been postulated that a single ounce of Anthrax, if leaked into the air conditioning system of a domed stadium could infect 80,000 people within the hour and a terrorist attack on the New York Metropolitan area might result in an estimated 600,000 deaths. If Anthrax were able to spread from person to person, the death toll would be much worse.

Botulinal Toxins are produced by a microscopic organism Clostridium botulinum. A deadly poison even in small doses (0.02mg can kill a full grown adult), it can be absorbed through the skin, lungs, eyes and mucous membranes. The poison occurs in the soil and naturally in low acid foods. It can be distributed through aerosol methods, water and food.

BT is an efficient killer, with a fatality rate of about 60-70%. The initial symptoms are dizziness and general weakness, appearing within 6-48 hours of contact, followed by disturbance in vision, difficulty in swallowing, breathing and speaking. Frothing is also common. There is little pain except for headaches. The victim remains mentally alert but is physically paralyzed. An untreated victim would go into convulsions and die within 2 to 10 days. The poison inhibits the release of acetylcholine, causing the victim to suffer paralysis.

The disease is not contagious so there is no need to isolate patients. In cold, stagnant water, botulinal toxin A is stable for a week. In food, botulinal toxin A is stable for a long time, when out of contact with air. All food and water should be heat sterilized in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Gas mask and protective clothing is required if exposure is anticipated.

A vaccine for the disease is available but to obtain complete protection from the toxins, the amount needed would cause death so it is not usually recommended, except to certain military personnel. If administered within 48 hours from exposure, an antitoxin (horse serum product) can only stop the progress of the disease. Oxygen should also be provided for assisted breathing.

Formaldehyde kills botulinum spores. Boiling in water for at least 10 minutes will kill the poison, not the spores. To kill the spores, it takes more than 6 hours of boiling in water. The spores cannot grow in honey or canning sugar, but can be dormant in raw honey. The spores, when ingested, can multiply in the digestive system, leading to illness and sometimes, even death. A specific anti-toxin can precipitate the toxin.

To protect one from being exposed, a protective shelter can be devised using a closed room that is insulated with a non-permeable material and ventilated with filtered air.

Botulism is a well-liked weapon for two main reasons. It occurs naturally in nature and it is the most deadly of all naturally occurring bio-toxins. One kilogram of the toxin can kill 50,000,000 people. There is an available supply of the microbe to produce the toxins and 1 live cell is all one needs to produce as many as one desires.

Saddam Hussein loves botulinal toxins. After the Gulf War, UN inspectors 130,000 gallons of botulinal toxins, which has the ability to cause the death of 23,587,200,000,000 people, which is about 4000 times the world population (5,500,000,000). A Scud missile filled with the toxin can affect about 1,429 square miles, sixteen times that with the same amount of sarin gas. The toxins are also well liked as it can be easily and cheaply manufactured.

ENTEROTOXIN B

Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B is produced by a bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. It is a protein toxin that is more stable than botulinal toxins. It is even resistant to heat. It directly irritates the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, causing diarrhea, and stimulates the vagal and sympathetic nerves, causing vomiting.

Less than 1mg of Enterotoxin B is enough to incapacitate an adult. Fortunately, it is not lethal. Initial symptoms will show within 30min-7hour of ingesting contaminated food, sooner if airborne. The symptoms are increased salivation, severe nausea, vomiting, abdominal, watery diarrhea, prostration, lowered blood pressure, and dizziness.

The victim will usually recover within a day and death only occurs due to excessive dehydration.

The disease is not contagious so there is no need to isolate patients. Infants and debilitated persons are more susceptible to the dehydrating effects of the poisoning. Boiling does not destroy the disease so heat sterilization will not help.

No vaccine for the disease is presently available for human use. There are no recognized techniques for neutralization and decontamination. If aerosol exposure is anticipated, a gas mask is required. Also, avoid consuming contaminated food and water. There is no vaccine or treatments for the poisoning, the only thing one can do Is to provide fluids to prevent dehydration.

TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXINS

Trichothecene Mycotoxins are produced by fungi of the genera Fusarium, Myrotecium, Trichoderma, Stachybotrys and others. They inhibit protein synthesis, impair DNA synthesis, alter cell membrane structure and function, and inhibit mitochondrial respiration. The toxins, protein in nature, have a low molecular weight. They also contain food refusal and emetic factors. Trichothecene mycotoxins are highly persistent and stable for long periods of time.

0.5mg of the poison is enough to kill half the exposed humans. The skin of the victims can be irritated if the skin is exposed to the toxins. They can also cause radiomimetic injury of intestines, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen and thymus, leading to leukopenia and bone marrow atrophy. Effects are also found on central nervous, circulatory and reproductive systems.

After about 8 weeks from exposure to Normocyclic Trichothecenes, one will suffer from Alimentary Toxic Aleukia; burning sensation in the alimentary tract, vomiting, tachycardia, leukopenia, petechial hemorrhages with necrosis in skin and internal hemorrhages.

After about 8 weeks from exposure to Macrocyclic Trichothecenes, one will suffer from Stachybotryotoxicosis, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, leukopenia, dematis and pulmonary fibrosis.

An attack with Trichothecene Mycotoxins should be suspected if an aerosol attack happens in the form of ‘yellow rain’, with droplets of yellow fluid falling from the sky. Confirmation requires a blood test. Either that or someone is pissing on you.

Mycotoxins are not infectious or contagious so isolation is unnecessary. Improperly stored grain, especially under wet and cold conditions, may be badly infected by trichothecene-producing molds. Macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins may be liberated upon burning so contaminated clothing and hospital dressings should be steam sterilized and not burnt. Mixtures of macrocyclic trichothecenes are very potent and can cause death within 24 hours. Consumption of contaminated food and water should be avoided.

For protection, a gas mask and protective clothing is required. No vaccine has been developed yet. If exposed, wash contaminated skin with soap and water and irrigate eye with copius saline. Super-activated charcoal should be taken orally if the toxin was swallowed, to reduce absorption from the gut. Supportive therapy should also be provided when required to improve cardiovascular functions.

Shortly after WWII, Russian military added species of Fusarium to flour and the flour was baked into bread and ingested by civilians. Some of them developed a lethal illness, Ailementary Toxic Aleukia, which is characterized by initial symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, prostration and with days, fever, chills, myalgias, and bone marrow depression with granulocytopenia and secondary sepsis. If the victim still lives, the victim will develop painful pharyngeal/laryngeal ulceration and diffuse bleeding into the skin, melena, bloody diarrhea, hematuria, hemalemesis, epistaxsis, and vaginal bleeding.

The United States and Britain had used Trichothecene Mycotoxins against Iraq in the 1991 war.

Hydrogen cyanide is usually included among the CW agents causing general poisoning. Hydrogen cyanide has high toxicity and in sufficient concentrations it rapidly leads to death. At room temperature, hydrogen cyanide is a colorless liquid which boils at 26 degrees celcius. The most important route of poisoning is through inhalation. Both gaseous and liquid hydrogen cyanide, as well as cyanide salts in solution, can also be taken up through the skin. Its high volatility probably makes hydrogen cyanide difficult to use in warfare since there are problems in achieving sufficiently high concentrations outdoors.

On the other hand, the concentration of hydrogen cyanide may rapidly reach lethal levels if it is released in confined spaces. The most important toxic effect of hydrogen cyanide is by inhibiting the metal-containing enzymes. One such enzyme is cytochromoxidase, containing iron. This enzyme system is responsible for the energy-providing processes in the cell where oxygen is utilized, i.e., cell respiration. When cell respiration ceases, it is no longer possible to maintain normal cell functions, which may lead to cell mortality. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning vary and depend on, for example, route of poisoning, total dose and the exposure time. If hydrogen cyanide has been inhaled, the initial symptoms are restlessness and increased respiratory rate. Other early symptoms are giddiness, headache, palpitations and respiratory difficulty. These are later followed by vomiting, convulsions, respiratory failure and unconsciousness. If the poisoning occurs rapidly, e.g., as a result of extremely high concentrations in the air, there is no time for symptoms to develop and exposed persons may then suddenly collapse and die.

Today, there is no medical antidote against cyanide poisoning within the Swedish Armed Forces. The treatment given to civilians is based on encouraging and speeding-up the body's own ability to excrete cyanide and to bind cyanide in the blood. The enzyme rhodanese is present in the body, mainly in the liver, and together with sulphur transforms cyanide into thiocyanate, which is passed out in the urine. By supplying sulphur in the form of sodium thiosulphate (Na2S2O3) the detoxification can be speeded up. The cyanide ion has high affinity to trivalent iron (Fe3+). The divalent iron in blood haemoglobin can be oxidized to trivalent, which leads to the formation of methaemoglobin which binds cyanide ions. The formation of methaemoglobin can be achieved by supplying sodium nitrite (NaNO2) or dimethylaminophenol (DMAP).Cyanide can also be bound by metallic ions supplied to the blood in suitable form. Among others, cobalt can be supplied in the form of a cobalt complex or as hydroxycobalamin (vitamin B12). In cases of poisoning with hydrogen cyanide it is of the utmost importance that countermeasures are immediately introduced. For this reason, a medical antidote (PAPP, para-aminopropiophenone) for use as a pretreatment is being developed in the United Kingdom.

There is no confirmed information on this substance being used in chemical warfare. However, it has been reported that hydrogen cyanide was used by Iraq in the war against Iran and against the Kurds in northern Iraq during the 1980's. During the Second World War, a form of hydrogen cyanide (Zyklon B) was used in the Nazi gas chambers.

BIOLOGICAL WARFARE

Biological and chemical weapons have had a long and checkered history. Incidentally, instead of proliferating, like conventional warfare, the use of biological and chemical warfare (CBW) has decreased over time. The advent of biotechnology, namely in the fields of microbiology, molecular chemistry and genetic engineering have opened new doorways for human race to propel itself to a better future. However, like all things, there is a darker, more sinister side to biotechnology. One element of this "dark side" is the manufacture and proliferation of biological and chemical weapons. For example, last year, Iranian scientists revealed that they could easily create person specific or group specific viruses and bacteria. If Hitler had these weapons at his disposal, he needn’t have gone through all that trouble to drag Jews into concentration camps and gas them. He’d simply have to release a few "Israelite specific" pathogens into the water supply and let nature take its course.

It is a known fact that any crackpot government can easily start it’s own CBW program. Any nation with a reasonably advanced pharmaceutical and medical industry can do so since all you need is a team of scientists reasonably well versed in bacteria production and some rudimentary lab equipment.

There are four main advantages and three huge disadvantages to using biological weapons.

Probably the biggest advantage is the fact that biological weapons are extremely efficient. It is hypothesized that one gram of purified botulinum toxin could kill 10 million people. This is approximately 3 million times more deadly than Sarin, a popular nerve agent. Yet another advantage is that gram for deadly gram, biological weapons are the cheapest of the lot. To "affect 1 square kilometer, it would cost about $2000 using conventional weapons, $800 using nuclear weapons, $600 using chemical weapons and a grand sum of $1 using biological weapons. Do the math.

This disturbing fact has caused biological weapons to be considered the "Poor man’s atomic bomb". Perhaps you could more accurately describe it as the "Poor and extremely lazy man’s atomic bomb" since not only are biological weapons easy to produce, quantify and weaponize, they are also alarmingly easy to conceal. This is because a lot of the equipment used to produce viruses and other such pathogens are "dual-use", meaning that they can be both used for illegal or legitimate purposes. For example, centrifuges, culture flasks, petri dishes. Even the science laboratories of most schools have these items. In fact, to "grow" and "harvest" biological agents, all one needs is a standard lab, albeit with ultrasafe working conditions.

The last advantage concerns the "live" nature of these biological agents. Conventional weapons explode once, kill a few hundred people, maim thousands of others, disrupt traffic and stop. Biological agents, on the other hand, can spread from person to person. (Think of AIDS). With a few carriers of an airborne strain of the Ebola virus, hundreds, nay, thousands more can get infected. These thousands will infect hundred of thousands more and pretty soon, you have one heck of an epidemic on your hands. Not very good for tourism, epidemics.

The biggest disadvantage of using biological weapons is that they are really quite unpredictable. Who’s to say that you won’t end up infecting your own troops? Another disadvantage is that these agents last for quite some time. Anthrax, for example, can live for up to 50 years in soil. Therefore, it would be impractical to send in troops to occupy the area. No use killing everyone in your enemy’s country and then finding out you can’t occupy it. It’s just like getting a toy without batteries. Don’t you just hate it when you wake up on Christmas morning to find that the wonderful remote controlled car your dad bought for you came without batteries and all the shops are closed?

The last major disadvantage is that people, in general, don’t like biological weapons. These people hate it even more when someone actually uses these weapons (particularly, when they are used on them. Actually, come to think of it, if the biological weapons were used on them, they wouldn’t be able to complain much since they’d be dead pretty soon). Now imagine the ruler of that country being accused by the media and in the Oprah Winfry Show of using biological weapons for military gain. Chances are, that person won’t get too popular with the people for very long.

TIMELINE

Assyrians contaminated the water supply of their enemies by poisoning their wells with Rye Ergot.

The master tactician Solon used the purgative herb hellebore (skunk cabbage) to poison the water supply during his siege of Krissa.

Plague broke out in the ranks of the Tartar army during its siege of Kaffa. The Tartars then hurled the corpses of the dead over the city walls using catapults and the plague epidemic which soon followed forced the defenders to surrender. Historians believe that those infected Kaffans who managed to escape detection and escape could have started the Black Death pandemic which spread across Europe.

Napoleon tried to infect the people of Mantua with swamp fever during his Italian campaign.

Chlorine and Mustard Gas were used extensively by the Germans

Dr Anton Dilger, a noted German-American Physician, established a small biological agent production facility at his northwest Washington, DC home. Using cultures of Bacillus Anthracis (Anthrax) and Pseudomonas Mallei (Glanders) supplied by the Imperial German government, Dilger produced an estimated liter or more of liquid agent. He reportedly passed the agent and a standard inoculation device to dock workers in Baltimore who used them to infect a reported 3500 horses, mules and cattle destined for the Allied troops who were waging World War 1. Several Hundred military personnel were infected as well.

The use of chemical weapons in World War 1 clearly unnerved the scientific community. The Geneva Protocol was established to prohibit the use of such agents in war ever again. The protocol, however, did not ban the production of such agents.

Japanese military officials tried to poison delegates of the League of Nations' Lytton Commission that had been assigned to investigate Japan's seizure of Manchuria in 1931. The officials allegedly laced the fruit provided by the delegates with cholera germs but the Japanese government maintained that "the investigators did not develop the disease"

Despite the efforts of the international community to control the use of biological and chemical weapons, Japan dabbled with such weapons throughout the 30s and employed them against the Chinese forces when invading China and Manchuria.

The British conducted Anthrax tests off the coast of Scotland on Gruinard Island. Today, the abandoned island is still believed to be infected with anthrax spores.

The US proceeds with its offensive biological weapons initiative that started during World War 2. The U.S Army conducts tests in certain US States using nonpathogenic bacteria. The program ends with a large number of tests being carried out in the Pacific Ocean. Sources indicate that offensive biological weapons were used and the operation, carried out in the utmost secrecy, involved many ships loaded with caged animals. At the end of 1969, President Nixon orders the termination of the offensive biological weapons program and orders all stockpiled weapons destroyed.

The Biological Weapons Convention prohibits the research, development and proliferation of offensive biological weapons. The treaty does, however, allow defensive work in this discipline to continue.

In Sverdlovsk, Russia, around a hundred people are infected with Anthrax. In this outbreak, 64 die and the Russian government blames the outbreak on contaminated meat. International scientific and intelligence communities are doubtful about that claim and wonder if an accidental release of Anthrax spores from a nearby bio weapons facility was responsible instead. Finally, in 1989, Dr. Vladimir Pasechnick, the former director of the Leningrad Institute of Ultrapure Biological Preparations, defects to the UK and reveals that the Russian government had an offensive biological weapons program despite it signing the BWC in 1972.

The 80s saw the eradication of smallpox and, to a certain extent, polio after a long and successful vaccination campaign by the Center for Disease control, based in Atlanta. Today, only two labs officially have smallpox stocks. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and the Ivanovsky Institute in Mexico.

Iraq uses chemical weapons in its war against neighboring Iran. After it’s defeat at the hands of the US Forces in 1991, Iraq is ordered by the UN security council to halt all biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs it might have.

Communism falls

Evidence of an offensive program in Russia is found when US and UK inspectors visit suspected biological facilities in Russia. The team believed that biological agents such as smallpox, anthrax and plague were used. The Russians deny any wrongdoing and within a year, send over a team to inspect closed-up US biological facilities

Dr. Kanatjan Alibekov , former deputy director of the civilian arm of Russia’s biological weapons program, defects to the US and confirms suspicions that Russia had used smallpox to make weapons. President Yeltsin, in an unprecedented move, admitted that the Anthrax outbreak in Sverdlovsk was caused, in part by activity at the military installation.

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is established. Similar to the BWC, it prohibits the research and production of chemical agents such as Sarin and VX Nerve Gas . In the same year, Six people die and hundreds are injured when a bomb explodes at the World Trade Towers in New York City. Six people die and hundreds are injured. Analysts suspect the bomb was laced with Cyanide that failed to ignite.

Members of the Shinrikyo religious sect release Sarin into the Tokyo underground rail system, killing 12 and injuring thousands. Due to the inferior quality of the Sarin agent and inefficient dispersal techniques, the death toll were lower than predicted.

The US Defense Department starts an Anthrax vaccination program to immunize all personnel against Anthrax. President Clinton, backed by Congress, approves two new presidential decision directives to improve the country’s ability to respond to the threat of a biological and chemical weapons terrorist attack. An additional one billion is channeled into the defense budget and Richard Clarke is appointed as the national coordinator for all antiterrorism initiatives.

PAST INCIDENTS

JAPAN’S CBW PROGRAM

Unlike the other case studies littered throughout this website, this particular case study on the land of the rising sun concentrates mainly on pre 1950 Japan. Unlike other countries, the modern Japan does not maintain an offensive chemical and biological weapons (CBW) program even though, given the level of technology and expertise it has in the field of eugenics and industrial chemistry, it could easily do so.

In fact, the modern history of biological warfare started with the Japanese! In 1918, the Japanese started a special section called Unit 731, dedicated to chemical and biological warfare (CBW). At that time, the maxim was, "Science and Technology are the Key's to Winning War and BW is the most cost effective." Indeed, even today, some 80 years later, this saying has proven true. In 1931, Japan aggressively sought to expand its territory by laying siege to Manchuria, located in mainland China and Unit 731 coolly moved in to secure an almost endless supply of human guinea pigs. Sure beats using lab rats. Basically, if you were unfortunate enough to be a prisoner of war, you qualified to join the ranks of those tortured by the Japanese scientists as they sought to understand the underlying mechanisms behind both chemical and biological agents.

Following that, Japanese air machines sprayed bubonic plague over parts of China in 1941, spreading terror into the hearts and minds of the rural populace. At least five separate instances were documented and as terrifying the prospect of bacterial bombs were at the time, these attacks were deemed ineffective. By now, the US became aware of the Japanese’s efforts and they decided to start their own program. The Japanese also experimented on American POWs and the US apparently were informed of the testing but did nothing. Before their surrender, Japanese forces released thousands of plague infested rats and upon submitting defeat to the Americans, the American Military offered immunity to members of Unit 731 (both the scientists and military personnel) in exchange for information garnered from those experiments. Therefore, in a way, the American CBW program is soaked in the blood of Americans sent into a strange land and betrayed by their country. The end of the second world war ushered in a new era of global politics, where the real battles were conducted neither in trenches nor on the battlefields of the Rhine but in secret weapons labs and war rooms. The cold war had begun and biological warfare was poised to become an integral part of this freezing malice.

CHINA’S CBW PROGRAM

China has developed an advanced chemical warfare capability and its arsenal of delivery systems include the use of spray tanks, aerial bombs and specially modified artillery shells. The Chinese government has been maintaining a chemical and biological warfare division since the early 1950s and has been responsible for the development and weaponization of many agents. Its biological warfare program included manufacturing infectious microbes and toxins as well as various chemical agents. China is equipped with an impressive array of ballistic and inter-continental missiles and is currently involved in a scheme to upgrade her offensive capabilities.

Due to the severe decline of conventional arms exports, Beijing has been reluctant to reduce its remaining weapons exports and as a result, China is suspected of exporting chemical weaponry to Iran, among other countries. Hopefully, the Clinton administration can pressure China into discontinuing the various chemical and biological weapons (CBW) programs it has and successfully oversee the demilitarization of China’s CBW initiatives.

IRAQ VS IRAN

These two neighboring superpower wannabes have been engaged in border skirmishes and the occasional full-scale invasion for centuries. However, with the advent of both chemical and biological weapons, these wars have turned increasingly bloody.

Bot Iran and Iraq are parties to the Geneva Protocol, having signed it on 1929 and 1931 respectively. Basically, this protocol disallows its member nations from using any form of chemical and bacteriological agents against another country.

ANTHRAX LEAK AT 
SVERDLOVSK

On April 2, 1979, an unusual Anthrax outbreak affecting 94 people, killing at least 64 of them, occurred in the Soviet city of Sverdlovsk, now known as Ekaterinburg, about 850 miles east of Moscow. The first victim died four days after the suspected outbreak occurred while the last one died one and a half months later. The Soviet government denied any wrongdoing, blaming the outbreak on contaminated meat, an excuse several influential American scientists found plausible.

However, the Carter administration was not fooled that easily. American spies had discovered the location of a suspected biological weapons facility located in Sverdlovsk itself, and the Americans suspected that the Soviet Union was violating the Biological Weapons Convention they had signed in 1972. The US made their suspicions public but the Soviets denied any wrongdoing and tried to prove their contaminated meat story at numerous international conferences.

Meanwhile, the Russian arsenal of offensive biological weapons continued to grow and it was not until thirteen years later, in 1992 that the Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, conceded that the facility was indeed the source of the outbreak. Russia, in an unprecedented move, even allowed a team of Western scientists to go to Sverdlovsk to carry out an intensive investigation. Despite the KGB’s best efforts to destroy all evidence by confiscating hospital and other records after the incident, the wily scientists were able to track the location of the victims on that fateful day. After much investigation, a pattern began to emerge. The results clearly showed that most of the victims were located along a straight line downwind from the facility. Moreover, livestock in the area also died from Anthrax and the team was able to conclude, without a shadow of a doubt, that the outbreak was caused by a release of an aerosol of anthrax pathogen at the military facility. Unfortunately, they were unable to determine what caused the release or what specific activities might have occurred at the facility.

According to Dr Kanatian Alibekov, the former first deputy of Biopreparat, the civilian arm of the Soviet biological weapons program, the leak was caused by workers at the facility who neglected to replace a filter in a crucial exhaust pipe. Their error was realized soon after but by then, some spores had already escaped. Had the wind been blowing towards the city center, the death toll would definitely have been much higher. To this day, western inspectors are forbidden from entering the facility and it remains to be seen if the Soviet Government will come clean with this matter once and for all.

SOUTH AFRICA’S 
CBW PROGRAM

In early 1998, Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission held a series of hearings and public interrogations to expose the rampant abuse of human rights during the Apartheid-era government. Not only did the Commission expose the regime’s wanton abuse of power, they also looked into allegations that the Apartheid’s Chemical and Biological Warfare program was used to suppress the black majority and for political gain.

The government allegedly synthesized a sterility compound to control the population of Blacks and used toxins for political assassination. They were also accused of arming Zimbabwean troops with anthrax and cholera to be used against guerrilla rebels who were trying to overthrow the White minority.

The program was headed by none other than Dr Wouter Basson, a former Brigadier and personal heart specialist to the president. He headed the program, known as Project Coast right through the 80s and early 90s and in that relatively short time span, he was directly responsible for developing chemical and biological weapons to target opposition leaders and their supporters. The Apartheid propaganda machine then spread rumors about the program which basically terrorized the black community into submission. The weapons employed included an infertility toxin to control the birth rate and numerous poisons that could be concealed in everyday products such as drinks and snacks as well as skin absorbing chemicals that could be applied to the clothing of dissidents.

Not only did they use their arsenal of biological and chemical weapons against specific targets, they also allegedly released cholera into water sources of certain Black townships and used their weapons to aid the government troops of Zimbabwe to crush the rebels who were desperately trying to topple the White supremacists. In 1979, the world’s largest Anthrax outbreak took place in Zimbabwe resulting in the death of 82 while thousands more fell ill. Hospitals were flooded and emergency medical personnel had to be flown in.

The Chemical and Biological Warfare (CBW) program underwent radical changes following the appointment of F.W de Klerk as president in the early 90s. He appointed General Pierre Steyn to investigate the alleged abuses of power. His report, which came to be known as the Steyn Report, exposed many of the rampant abuses of human rights. This started a chain reaction in which numerous scientists and researchers were fired and all documents pertaining to the CBW program were shredded. However, all of the information was stored digitally on CD-ROMs kept under tight security. Basson was forced to retire and soon after became a consultant and flew to many countries, one of which happened to be Libya. His frequent visits alarmed the international community. Twice during de Klerk's presidency and once during Mandela's, the United States and Britain made démarches to express their concerns about the leaking of knowledge from the CBW program. In an effort to control this rogue scientist, the government had no choice but to rehire him in an effort to stop him from spreading his intimate knowledge of biological and chemical warfare.

In 1997 Basson was detained on charges of being a drug pusher. During the ensuing investigation, authorities found CBW documents, which should have been long destroyed, stored in Basson's residence. He refused to seek amnesty with the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission and delayed testifying until July 1998.. People who worked for Basson, however, did testify and have applied for amnesty and qualified for immunity from prosecution. South Africa, which is now a member of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention, still maintains a CBW program but the government says that it is strictly defensive.

Interestingly enough, if Sadam were to pack a payload of biological weapons into a scud missile and send it screaming at America, it wouldn’t be entirely effective. This is because biological agents don’t quite like the huge stresses and gravitational forces that are applied during flight. It isn’t exactly a smooth ride, hurtling away through the atmosphere at speeds exceeding mach 2, you know. Furthermore, the heat generated by the acceleration and detonation of such ballistic missiles makes them a less than ideal method of delivering live bacteriological agents.

Besides, considerable technical expertise is needed to program the missile to detonate at the optimum speed, height and angle to ensure maximum dispersion of the agent. Even if the respective vectors and trajectories were calculated, it would be extremely difficult to repeat the theoretical optimum set of results in the field due to the infinite number of variables such as wind speed, air pressure, flocks of geese obstructing the missile etc. Perhaps it is easier to just nuke the enemy. Saves a whole lot of trouble if you ask me.

However despite these setbacks, Iraq has been reported to have retained at least 16 ballistic missiles, in direct violation of U.N directives. Typical.

A much better way of releasing biological agents would be to attach aerosol dispersal systems onto the belly of the missile. Something like a really mean crop sprayer. In fact, in the 1960s, the U.S did come up with a prototype of such a weapon and Iraq it seems, has improved on the original design and come up with a more efficient sprayer. Other such developments include the use of spray tanks and liquid filled artillery shells.

More recently, the Serbian army has been accused of using:

122mm artillery shells (filling approximately 1.8 liters either Sarin or sulphur mustard);

128mm calibre rocket (for multiple rocket launch systems - filling 2 liters of Sarin); and 100kg BAD-100 aerial bomb (filling 20 liters Sarin)

Sarin-filled 120mm mortar bombs

The mobile cannon shown on the left is used to deliver chemical and possibly biological agents to enemy troops. It’s long range enables it to do it’s job without coming into close contact with the enemy. A purified chemical agent, such as Sarin or VX gas can be poured into a liquid filled artillery shell. When fired, it detonates in mid air and its contents rain death on unsuspecting ground troops. Expected scenario: "Oh look, it’s raining again. Dear oh dear, I was hoping for a sunny Sunday afternoon. Looks like our cricket match is cancelled. Oh my, my skin’s burning. Argh!"

In the December of 1990, Iraq started work on a modified aircraft drop tank capable of releasing biological agents. The tank could be fastened to either a manned fighter jet or even a remote controlled aircraft. The tank is designed to spray up to2000 liters of Anthrax on the specified target.

In addition to that, Iraq claims to have produced four aerosol spray tanks for aircraft. And 7,770 pounds of growth media have gone "missing". Iraq claims that they have filled 50 warheads with chemicals, according to the Department of Defense; only 30 are confirmed to have been destroyed.

PROTECTION AGAINST 
AGENTS

Prevention may take many forms. In the case of chemical and biological warfare, international disarmament treaties and regular inspection by neutral parties could very well deter the production and proliferation of such weapons. For instance, the presence of international treaties like the Geneva Protocol, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) have discouraged countries from developing offensive biological and chemical weapons programs.

More importantly, maintaining intelligence assets may help to pinpoint potential threats and enable preventive measures to be taken before the situation gets out of hand. For example, in 1998, Afghan spies working for the US were inserted into Bin Ladin’s terrorist cell. Using the information garnered by these brave undercover agents, along with soil samples and satellite readouts, the US was able to determine the factory producing the bacteriological agents and US warships launched a barrage of cruise missiles at the target. The bombing is believed to have set back Bin Ladin’s biological warfare capability by at least two years. Unfortunately, a few of the undercover agents were killed in the bombing and so the Afghans were pretty pissed with the CIA.

Mass vaccination programs may provide substantial protection against naturally occurring agents such as Anthrax but such programs offer almost no protection against mutated or genetically altered strains of the agent.

Yet another form of protection is the use of protective gear. However, donning masks and special clothing has proved unbearable for many a soldier, especially in hot countries like Iraq, where scientists reported extreme discomfort when made to wear gas masks for more than two hours at a time. However, as we shall see in the later chapters, a good number of protective suits now come equipped with personal air conditioners. Furthermore, a variety of handheld devices, such as the Improved Chemical Agent Monitor to warn soldiers of an impending chemical attack.

In the event of either a chemical or biological attack, the respiratory system must be protected at all costs since gasses like VX and Sarin attack the nervous system while Cyanide works by killing the cells. In the meantime, the body must be protected from coming into direct contact with liquid or solid forms of the agent since most agents can enter through the skin as well. The use of protective gear will go a long way to ensuring the survival of the soldier. He just might even get home in one healthy piece, instead of in

a) Pieces

b) A mass of chemically burnt flesh. Chemical agents like VX Nerve Gas are horrible for your complexion.

It might also help to take up an insurance policy or two so that if you die, at least your family would be able to claim some money.

In many cases, especially when one has to protect a group of people, using personal protection by means of a gas mask or special suits will prove inadequate. In these circumstances, collective protection will have to be used. This means sheltering the people in sealed tents or vehicles. In this manner, not only are the people protected from chemical agents in their liquid form, they also receive a certain degree of protection from gaseous agents since the air turnover in such contained places is much lower. The concentration will thus rise at a slower rate and protective masks can be easily donned without rushing. In special bunkers, the air supply is purified in much the same way as gas masks since the air is drawn through an aerosol filter and a layer of carbon by means of a fan. However, if there is a leak, it is almost certain that everyone in the shelter will die if the concentration of the chemical agent is high enough. Well, at least you’ll die together. It’s a whole lot more reassuring to know that you aren’t the only one to kick the bucket.

Consists of an overgarment to be worn over a standard Battle Dress Uniform and Multipurpose Rain/Snow Overboot. Not exactly a fashion statement but it allows heat to be managed effectively while tailoring the protection levels relative to mission scenarios and threat.

This just in. The Center for Disease Control has just declared a state of emergency in Salt Lake City, Utah. Doctors have yet to determine the cause of the outbreak but victims of the illness reported having very high fevers followed by a dry cough and runny nose. A few of the victims developed open sores on their face and neck and one of them has fallen into a deep coma. Investigators have discovered that all those that affected all attended the Utah Jazz – Chicago Bulls basketball game at the Delta Center last weekend. Authorities have asked that anyone attending that game to immediately seek medical attention. If you have experienced any of the symptoms described earlier, please go to the hospital at once.

This is a terrifying, yet probable description of what an attack by a crazed madman using biological weapons might sound like. The reality is indeed frightening. A single ounce of Anthrax released into the central air conditioning system of an indoor stadium could infect around 80000 spectators within an hour while an aerosol attack on a densely populated area, such as New York would result in over 600000 deaths.

There are many factors pointing to an increase in the use of biological and chemical weapons by terrorists. The first is the development of a binary weapon. Essentially, this is a weapon in which the agent is stored as two precursor chemicals that only need to be combined to form the lethal final product. Individually, both precursors are harmless. But when combined, the ensuing chemical reaction produces a deadly weapon. In this way, some sort of time delay can be rigged and so the terrorist could be far, far away by the time the lethal agent is manufactured.

Another factor is the proliferation of both biological and chemical weapons by rogue nations that have a history of militant behavior. Libya, Iraq, Iran, North Korea are a few that come to mind. These countries maintain friendly ties with terrorists (Bin Ladin has close ties with Sadam Hussein) and thus can be considered possible sources of chemical and biological agents for terrorists. Along with the expected increase in terrorist activity, we are likely to see terrorists using more diverse pathogenic agents and perhaps even maybe genetically engineered ones as well. By altering the protein coat on viruses, a clever terrorist might be able to make viruses such as Ebola or Hanta airborne, increasing their deadliness tenfold.

Furthermore, most of the anti-terrorism initiative carried out have been focused on combating more common events such as the odd high jacking or hostage situation thus leaving the government unprepared to deal with a chemical or biological attack. Traditional terrorists wanted political concessions, you know, ("Free our Great Leader who is in prison for drunk driving") but now, their primary goal is mass casualties ("We want lots and lots of people dead"). That makes using biological weapons extremely attractive.

Lastly, and perhaps most significantly of all, there has been a breach in the invisible barrier that has kept terrorists from using such weapons in the past. There has always been fear and uncertainty in using such weapons ("Oh gee, what if I spill the stuff and die") but now, ever since the Sarin gas attack in the Tokyo Subway not too long ago, the threshold of restraint has been significantly lowered. One possible scenario is that if one terrorist group realizes how simple, effective and easy it is to carry out such an operation and conducts a series of biological attacks, other such groups might be tempted to follow suit. Well, if you can’t beat them, join them. Soon, we might get all sorts of crazed lunatics spraying biological agents in the air. Once these underground organizations realize that it is well within their power to manufacture and develop these weapons. There is very little that can be done to apprehend this menace.

To highlight how easy it is for any aspiring undergraduate to become a biological terrorist, we prepared a schematic diagram to explain our point.

1. Select a source of protein you want a mass quantity of
2. Isolate and purify total RNA
3. Make a cDNA copy using Reverse Transcriptase
4. Amplify the cDNA using PCR
5. Clone the fragment by inserting into a plasmid and transforming an E. coli
6. Express protein and purify protein

COUNTER MEASURES

It begins with a threat. Perhaps you heard it on the radio, or saw the news flash on TV. Some terrorist group demanding that unless its ransom can be paid in cash, it will release Anthrax over Washington DC. Two days later, a chartered helicopter soars above Washington, spraying a cloud of dust in the air.

Sooner or later, there is going to be a biological attack on a major city. Are we prepared to deal with it? Fat hope.

Scenario one: Thousands die as millions rush to leave the city. The police tries to set up barricades to control the tide of human bodies but hundred die in confrontations with riot police. Those trapped in the city inhale the spores. Within hours, hospitals are over flooded and little can be done since the country’s limited supply of anti-serum has already been dispensed to the military. Thousands lounge in waiting rooms, unable to receive treatment. The Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization step in but little can be done. It is too late, millions die.

Scenario two: In the hours before the attack, citizens rush to bomb shelters while trained personnel evacuate the sick and disabled. Those in the bunker pay close attention to radio and news broadcasts, while trained personnel from both the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization work in synergy to contain the situation. They set up multiple base camps around the city and provide hospitals with an adequate supply of antibiotics and vaccines. Once sensors detect the Anthrax spores, police intercept the plane carrying the terrorists. In the meantime, weather forecasts enable the medical workers to predict where the deadly cloud will drift next. The terrorists are brutally tortured and forced to reveal their leader who is subsequently apprehended and executed. (Hey, it can’t be a happy ending for everyone, you know) With solid preparation and little panic, only thousands die. Tourism drops, sending a few hot dog stands out of business.

A terrorist planning to drop anthrax over an unsuspecting populace can count on two things. The panic such an attack will generate and the resulting catastrophic death toll. And a drop in tourism.

Already, the truth and reconciliation hearings in South Africa revealed that the Apartheid regime has produced weapons using Anthrax, Salmonella and Cholera. Soviet Scientists have admitted that weapons grade anthrax and smallpox has been known to been bought by terrorists groups such as the one run by Osama Bin Laden and even smaller groups such as the Aum Shinrikyo sect in Japan have been able to manufacture vast amounts of botulin, the toxin responsible for botulism.

In order to rectify this problem, scientists, bureaucrats, and security experts gathered in Stockholm to discuss how the threat of a terrorist armed with biological weapons can be contained. So far, most of the strategies used to counter biological weapons have been designed specifically for the military. Adapting these tactics for civilian use will be immensely difficult as civilians lack the training and the strong nerves needed to handle a terrorist threat. Furthermore, most of the equipment used by the military is way too expensive for civilian use. The many suits designed to combat bacteriological agents are much too dear for your local fire department and civilian gas mask lack the reinforced seals needed to keep germs out, rendering them useless in the event of a terrorist attack.

Two companies, Geomet and Irvin Aerospace have plans to sell civilian bio-suits and Molecular Geodesics has plans to market a suit that actually kills germs. This tough suit is made from a synthetic sponge like polymer that traps bacteria and viruses that are then killed by disinfectants in the fabric.

None of this gear will be of any use if people are unaware of an attack. The first hint of such an attack might be a sudden cluster of sick people. Even then, civilian doctors might not recognize the symptoms and fail to take the proper precautions to isolate the patients. Even when hordes of infected victims start filling emergency rooms, early diagnoses might not be simple since the initial symptoms of pathogens such as anthrax, plague and many other agents closely resemble those of flu. What’s more, once people hear that such an attack has taken place, these symptoms might be brought on by panic attacks. One solution might be to employ the use of expensive, high tech detectors that can identify the tell-tale molecules released by lung membranes during the early stages of infection. Eventually, experts predict that detectors weighing no more than two kilograms costing less than $5000 will come on the market and such devices will help doctors in their diagnosis. They can also be set up around the city to provide early warning of an airborne pathogen. Other developments include using gadgets such as microscopic electronic chips containing live nerve cells that can warn of the presence of bacterial toxins or viruses. Like a canary in a coal mine, these chips will let off a steady stream of "chatter" until something kills them. The only drawback is that this "canary in a chip" is unable to detect specific pathogens. Other devices in the pipeline include a fibre optic tube lined with antibodies attached to photon emitting molecules. When toxins or bacteria stimulate these molecules, they light up.

To combat this threat, researchers are trying to harness the potential of RNA analysis. Unlike DNA, RNA is abundant in cells and need not be amplified to be identified. This saves time, and money. Messenger RNA particles reveal not only the nature of the microorganism but also the type of toxin it is producing.

Determining the nature of the microorganism is only part of the battle. Vaccinating people before they can come into contact with the pathogen is one way to protect the public. The US military has already begun vaccinating US soldiers and they have launched a program to develop vaccines against potential agents for which none exist.

As wonderful as developing vaccines sound, they are no panacea. A wily terrorist need only perhaps develop a slightly altered protein coat to render that vaccine ineffective. To solve this problem, what researchers need to do is to find ways to develop vaccines quick enough for them to be synthesized and distributed within 24 hours of an attack. One solution would be to speed up DNA sequencing and unravel the DNA code of the pathogen and the resulting sequence can be used as the basis for developing an instant vaccine. Even then, it will be difficult to persuade the public to voluntarily take shots and furthermore, it will be terribly expensive to immunize entire populations. Moreover, many of these vaccines require booster shots to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine. An attack might persuade them to cooperate, but by then, there might be a shortage and it would be too late.

Perhaps, instead of hedging their bets on vaccines, the government should instead focus on developing drugs that work on a broad spectrum of infections even before the disease has been properly diagnosed. These non-specific drugs will take advantage of the similarities in the way many agents operate. For example, Ebola, Anthrax and Plague all work by inducing an inflammatory reaction similar to toxic shock syndrome and a drug that can reduce this inflammatory response just might do the trick. Another class of pathogens, bacteria such as plague, salmonella and shigella rely on very similar proteins that attach themselves to human cells and inject their deadly toxins. Drugs designed to interfere with this process could, in theory, stop the bacteria.

In conclusion, as hopeful as all these solutions sound, many fear that these counter measures will not be available in time to protect people from a biological attack. At the moment, the US is one of the few countries, along with Sweden, France and Israel that are taking the threat of a biological attack seriously. The problem is that many governments have more immediate concerns to worry about and so are not devoting the resources needed to handle an attack.

SMALLPOX AS A WEAPON

Smallpox once again is a serious threat to man, this time as a biological weapon. Unlike chemical weapons, viruses like smallpox are invisible, silent and odorless and so, they have less chance of being detected and eliminated. Furthermore, smallpox is made all the more dangerous because nearly everyone is susceptible to it as vaccinations have stopped worldwide over two decades ago with its eradication.

If used as a weapon, it is unlikely the disease would be identified fast enough for a vaccination program to be effective.

Here is a scenario that could happen if terrorists get hold of smallpox and use it as a weapon:

A terrorist in an airport squeezes a few lethal sprays of smallpox from a hand-held spray. Unsuspecting victims inhale the virus. They spread the virus as they come into contact with others. Within a day, the virus could spread to many other countries. As nearly everyone is susceptible and vaccinations are in short supply, whole populations can be wiped out. Oh yeah, tourism falls.