Biological agent
(Redirected from Biological agents)
An overview of biological agents and their implications in medicine and warfare
A biological agent is a bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, or fungus that can be used purposefully as a weapon in bioterrorism or biological warfare. These agents can be naturally occurring or artificially modified to enhance their pathogenicity, virulence, or resistance to medical countermeasures.
Types of Biological Agents[edit | edit source]
Biological agents are classified into three categories based on their potential impact on public health and safety:
- Category A: These agents pose the highest risk to national security and public health because they can be easily disseminated or transmitted from person to person, result in high mortality rates, and have the potential for major public health impact. Examples include Anthrax, Smallpox, and Plague.
- Category B: These agents are moderately easy to disseminate and result in moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates. Examples include Brucellosis and Q fever.
- Category C: These agents include emerging pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination in the future because of their availability, ease of production and dissemination, and potential for high morbidity and mortality rates. Examples include Nipah virus and Hantavirus.
Historical Use of Biological Agents[edit | edit source]
The use of biological agents in warfare dates back to antiquity. However, the most infamous modern example is the activities of Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The unit conducted lethal human experimentation and developed biological weapons.
Biological Weapons Convention[edit | edit source]
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) is an international treaty that came into force in 1975, prohibiting the development, production, and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons. It was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons.
Medical Implications[edit | edit source]
In the medical field, biological agents are studied for their potential to cause disease, as well as for their use in developing vaccines and treatments. Understanding the mechanisms of these agents is crucial for developing effective countermeasures and ensuring public health safety.
Also see[edit | edit source]
Biological warfare and Biological weapons | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This biological weapons related article is a stub.
|
Transform your life with W8MD's budget GLP1 injections from $125
W8MD offers a medical weight loss program NYC and a clinic to lose weight in Philadelphia. Our W8MD's physician supervised medical weight loss centers in NYC provides expert medical guidance, and offers telemedicine options for convenience.
Why choose W8MD?
- Comprehensive care with FDA-approved weight loss medications including:
- loss injections in NYC both generic and brand names:
- weight loss medications including Phentermine, Qsymia, Diethylpropion etc.
- Accept most insurances for visits or discounted self pay cost.
- Generic weight loss injections starting from just $125.00 for the starting dose
- In person weight loss NYC and telemedicine medical weight loss options in New York city available
- Budget GLP1 weight loss injections in NYC starting from $125.00 biweekly with insurance!
Book Your Appointment
Start your NYC weight loss journey today at our NYC medical weight loss, and Philadelphia medical weight loss Call (718)946-5500 for NY and 215 676 2334 for PA
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's NYC physician weight loss.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available. Call 718 946 5500.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates, categories Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD