A Concept of a Probable Autoinjector for Bio-threat Agents

2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 464 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.V. Geetha ◽  
Anitha Roy ◽  
S. Senthilkumar ◽  
A.S.B. Bhaskar ◽  
R. Vijayaraghavan
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Biological Weapons ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Biological Warfare Agents ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical And Biological Weapons ◽  
Pralidoxime Chloride ◽  
And Training

Chemical and biological weapons can be used during conflicts and by terrorists to injure or kill humans and animals. Chemical weapons contain toxic chemicals and biological weapons contain pathogenic organisms. With proper protective equipments and training, the lethal effects of chemical and biological warfare agents can be minimised. First aid kit is available that contain detection, decontamination and medical protection for chemical warfare agents including autoinjectors, for rapid administration and faster absorption of drugs. The autoinjectors are safe and available for life saving drugs like atropine sulphate and pralidoxime chloride (nerve agent poisoning), epinephrine (anaphylaxis), diazepam (seizures) and sumatriptan (migraine). For bio-threat agents doxycycline alone is available as a broad spectrum antibiotic in the first aid kit. Majority of the bacterial agents are gram negative and hence amikacin drug cartridge was developed for the existing autoinjector. The advantage of amikacin is its safety, stability, can be given prophylactically and supplemented with other antibiotics when medical attention arrives. The usability and tolerability of amikacin administered repeatedly through autoinjector was studied using various haematological, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters in animal models. The results are promising and as there is no antibiotic autoinjector available, amikacin autoinjector can be considered for bio-threat agents.

Investigating Allegations of Chemical or Biological Warfare: The Canadian Contribution

1986 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 678-682
Author(s):  
Miriam E. Sapiro
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Secretary General ◽  
Biological Weapons ◽  
General Assembly ◽  
Biological Warfare ◽  
Customary International Law ◽  
Biological Warfare Agents ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical And Biological Weapons ◽  
The Subject

The 1925 Geneva Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare unequivocally makes the use of chemical and biological weapons an illegitimate means of waging war. Yet enforcement of the Protocol is hindered by the lack of an investigative mechanism to provide prompt and effective verification of an alleged violation. In response to controversy stemming from this omission, in 1982 the General Assembly requested that the Secretary-General enlist the assistance of experts to investigate alleged breaches of the Protocol and relevant rules of customary international law, devise procedures for timely and efficient investigation, and document information relating to the identification of chemical and biological warfare agents. In 1984 the Secretary-General submitted his Report on Chemical and Bacteriological (Biological) Weapons to the General Assembly, which included the provisional procedures recommended by the Group of Consultant Experts. Deeply concerned about the use of such weapons, and perceiving a need for more extensive guidance on the subject, the Canadian Government prepared the Handbook for the Investigation of Allegations of the Use of Chemical or Biological Weapons and presented it to the Secretary-General on December 4, 1985.

scholarly journals Detection of Bacillus anthracis Spores Using Peptide Functionalized SERS-Active Substrates

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atanu Sengupta ◽  
Chetan Shende ◽  
Stuart Farquharson ◽  
Frank Inscore
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Anthracis ◽  
Dipicolinic Acid ◽  
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy ◽  
Biological Weapons ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Biological Warfare Agents ◽  
Active Metal ◽  
Bacillus Anthracis Spores ◽  
Surface Enhanced Raman ◽  
Warfare Agents

The need for portable technologies that can rapidly identify biological warfare agents (BWAs) in the field remains an international priority as expressed at the 2011 Biological Weapons Convention. In recent years, the ability of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to rapidly detect various BWAs at very low concentrations has been demonstrated. However, in the specific case of Bacillus anthracis, differentiation at the species level is required since other bacilli are common in the environment, representing potential false-positive responses. To overcome this limitation, we describe the use of a peptide attached to the SERS-active metal that selectively binds Bacillus anthracis-Sterne as the target analyte. Using this approach, 109  B. anthracis-Sterne spores/mL produced an intense dipicolinic acid spectrum upon the addition of acetic acid, while the same concentration and treatment of B. cereus and B. subtilis did not.

Personal Protection during Resuscitation of Casualties Contaminated with Chemical or Biological Warfare Agents—A Survey of Medical First Receivers

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 525-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Brinker ◽  
Kate Prior ◽  
Jan Schumacher
Keyword(s):  
Life Support ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Advanced Life Support ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Biological Warfare ◽  
Personal Protection ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Biological Warfare Agent ◽  
Biological Warfare Agents ◽  
Warfare Agents

AbstractIntroduction: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 personal protection knowledge of emergency physicians and anesthetists who would be at the frontline of the initial health response to a chemical/biological warfare agent incident.Methods:After institutional review board approval, knowledge of personal protection measures among emergency medicine (n = 28) and anesthetics (n = 47) specialty registrars in the South Thames Region of the United Kingdom was surveyed using a standardized questionnaire. Participants were asked for the recommended level of personal protection if a chemical/biological warfare agent(s) casualty required advanced life support in the designated hospital resuscitation area.Results:The best awareness within both groups was regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome, and fair knowledge was found regarding anthrax, plague, Ebola, and smallpox. In both groups, knowledge about personal protection requirements against chemical warfare agents was limited. Knowledge about personal protection measures for biological agents was acceptable, but was limited for chemical warfare agents.Conclusions:The results highlight the need to improve training and education regarding personal protection measures for medical first receivers.

Looming Threat of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents

2016 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 443
Author(s):  
A.K. Goel
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
International Committee ◽  
Biological Weapon ◽  
Biological Weapons ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
Biological Warfare ◽  
Chemical Weapon ◽  
Biological Warfare Agents ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Dramatic Shift

<p><br />In the recent past, a dramatic shift has been observed in the strategies of warfare from conventional to non-conventional. Now-a-days, traditional power is of less importance than it used to be earlier. Weapons of mass destruction, which comprise of nuclear weapons, and chemical and biological warfare agents, are posing a great peril to the world due to their devastating potential. Though, there are several bilateral as well as multilateral treaties to control the use and proliferation of these weapons, yet the risk of use of such agents by non-state actors cannot be overlooked. Chances of use of chemical and biological agents are more likely than the nuclear weapons. A comparison of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in terms of technology, cost, signature, effectiveness on protected and un-protected troops shows that chemical and biological weapon programmes require much lower level of technology and cost than the nuclear weapon programme. Further, there is no or least distinctive and readily observable signature in biological weapon programme in comparison to nuclear and chemical weapon facilities. There can be two possibilities of use of these agents in terrorist attacks. First, there is a risk of transfer of material or know-how of these weapons to terrorists for using against the adversaries and second, the risk of these agents being pilfered due to poor security, thereby sabotaging the national security. The International Committee of Red Cross in February 1918 reckoned these agents as ‘barbarous inventions’ that can ‘only be called criminal’.</p>

The Threat of Mid-Spectrum Chemical Warfare Agents

2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pål Aas
Keyword(s):  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Biological Warfare ◽  
New Agents ◽  
Natural Substances ◽  
Biological Warfare Agents ◽  
Modern Chemical ◽  
Warfare Agents

AbstractThere is a spectrum of several threat agents, ranging from nerve agents and mustard agents to natural substances, such as biotoxins and new, synthetic, bioactive molecules produced by the chemical industry, to the classical biological warfare agents. The new, emerging threat agents are biotoxins produced by animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria. Examples of such biotoxins are botulinum toxin, tetanus toxin, and ricin. Several bioactive molecules produced by the pharmaceutical industry can be even more toxic than are the classical chemical warfare agents. Such new agents, like the biotoxins and bioregulators, often are called mid-spectrum agents. The threat to humans from agents developed by modern chemical synthesis and by genetic engineering also must be considered, since such agents may be more toxic or more effective in causing death or incapacitation than classical warfare agents. By developing effective medical protection and treatment against the most likely chemical and mid-spectrum threat agents, the effects of such agents in a war scenario or following a terrorist attack can be reduced.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review on Nerve Chemical Warfare Agents

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1329-1333
Author(s):  
Gagan R
Keyword(s):  
Organophosphorus Compounds ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Nerve Agents ◽  
Nerve Agent ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
The Body ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Pralidoxime Chloride ◽  
Acetylcholinesterase Enzyme ◽  
Neurological System

Abstract: The recent poisoning of Russian opposition figure and critic Alexei Navalny on August 20th , 2020 with a Soviet-era Novichok nerve agent reminded the world of the use of chemical agents, especially nerve agents to eliminate individual targets or for mass destruction. Nerve agents are a class of organophosphorus compounds. Soman, Sarin, Tabun, Cyclosarin, VX are a few examples of nerve agents. Nerve agents affect a person by disrupting the mechanism by which nerve signals are passed in the body. They inhibit the action of acetylcholinesterase enzyme which is responsible for the breakdown of acetylcholine neurotransmitters leading to accumulation of acetylcholine in the body. Nerve agents have a range of chemical effects on the eye, gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, Central nervous system (CNS), Respiratory system, Cardiovascular system and Neurological system. The management of nerve agent poisoning is done by administering Atropine or Pralidoxime chloride or also by administering anticonvulsants like Benzodiazepines or Diazepam. This review presents all such detailed information on this class of chemical Warfare agents. Keywords: Chemical Warfare Weapon, Nerve Agents, Acetylcholinesterase, Toxicity, Instrumentation

NEUROLOGICAL FEATURES IN CHILDREN AND DIPHENYLARSINIC ACID PROBABLY DERIVED FROM CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS

2006 ◽  
Vol 37 (S 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N Iwasaki ◽  
S Miyamoto ◽  
K Ishii ◽  
T Takeda ◽  
T Ohto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Chemical Warfare ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Neurological Features

ORGANOPHOSPHORUS NEUROTOXINS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariya Andriyanova ◽  
Aslanli Aslanli ◽  
Nataliya Basova ◽  
Viktor Bykov ◽  
Sergey Varfolomeev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Protection ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Current State ◽  
Physicochemical Biology ◽  
Chemical Agents ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
History Of ◽  
Physicochemical Methods ◽  
State Of Research

The collective monograph is devoted to discussing the history of creation, studying the properties, neutralizing and using organophosphorus neurotoxins, which include chemical warfare agents, agricultural crop protection chemical agents (herbicides and insecticides) and medicines. The monograph summarizes the results of current scientific research and new prospects for the development of this field of knowledge in the 21st century, including the use of modern physicochemical methods for experimental study and theoretical analysis of biocatalysis and its mechanisms based on molecular modeling with supercomputer power. The book is intended for specialists who are interested in the current state of research in the field of organophosphorus neurotoxins. The monograph will be useful for students, graduate students, researchers specializing in the field of physical chemistry, physicochemical biology, chemical enzymology, toxicology, biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics, biotechnology, nanotechnology and biomedicine.

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