seeds of the castor bean plant ricinuscommunis l (cb) contain ricin toxin (rt), one of the most poisonous naturally-occurring substances known. ricin toxin, a water-soluble glycoprotein that does not partition into the oil extract, is a ribosome-inactivating toxin composed of two chains, labeled a and b. severity of the toxicity varies depending on the route of exposure to the toxin. inhalation...

As we approach the 21st century, there is an increasing worldwide awareness and threat regarding the use of biological warfare agents both for war and terrorist attack. Biological agents include microorganisms or biological toxins that are used to produce death in humans, animals and plants. They are characterized by low visibility, high potency, substantial accessibility and relatively easy de...

Recent events have emphasized the threat from chemical and biological warfare agents. Within the efforts to counter this threat, the biocatalytic destruction and sensing of chemical and biological weapons has become an important area of focus. The specificity and high catalytic rates of biological catalysts make them appropriate for decommissioning nerve agent stockpiles, counteracting nerve ag...

Anthrax is a zoonotic illness recognized since antiquity. Today, human anthrax has been all but eradicated from the industrialized world, with the vast majority of practitioners in the United States unlikely to have seen a case. Unfortunately, the disease remains endemic in many areas of the world, and anthrax poses a threat as a mass casualty-producing weapon if used in a biological warfare ca...

The potential threat of biological warfare with a specific agent is proportional to the susceptibility of the population to that agent. Preventing disease after exposure to a biological agent is partially a function of the immunity of the exposed individual. The only available countermeasure that can provide immediate immunity against a biological agent is passive antibody. Unlike vaccines, whi...

INTRODUCTION The threat of mass casualties caused by an unconventional terrorist attack is a challenge for the public health system, with special implications for emergency medicine, anesthesia, and intensive care. Advanced life support of patients injured by chemical or biological warfare agents requires an adequate level of personal protection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the person...

introduction:with increasing threats of weapons of mass destruction (wmd) in future war especially biological threats against our country necessity of using novel technologies in crisis management against new warfare’s is very important. passive defense as a peaceful and preventive strategy without any warfare is able to not only monitor the prospect of new warfare specially biological warfare ...

Tularemia, an infection caused by the intracellular gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis, is accompanied by high mortality and occurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The causative agent is also considered one of the most important biological warfare agents. As well as its taxonomy and epidemiology, the basic immunochemical, biochemical, and molecular approaches for disease diagnos...