MILITARY PHARMACY AND MEDICINE

© Military Pharmacy and Medicine • 2012 • 4 • 121 – 122Radosław Ziemba: Bioterrorism — nature of the problemmap of cholera, listeria (causing gastrointestinalinfections), leprosy (evoking fear in the anticand medieval times) as well as one of the mostdangerous bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae– an etiological factor of pneumonia, meningitis,otitis media and peritonitis, which kills over3 mln children each year and increasingly oftenbecomes resistant to antibiotics [4].These studies can be used for development of newdrugs as well as for better understanding of evolutionarymechanisms. Similar to atomic energy,it can be used both for the benefit of people aswell as against them – e.g. development of lethalbiological weapons. Such experiments are alreadybeing conducted. As early as in 1999, ProfessorMalcolm Dando cautioned in his book “BiotechnologyWeapons and Humanity” that developmentof a biotechnological bomb directed againstspecific populations (e.g. Arabs, Serbs, Blackmen, Kurds or Jews) would become possible duringthe next 5-10 years. Such microorganisms,like cruise missiles, can be designed for destructionof selected biological targets, e.g. peoplewith particular cell receptors or DNA sequences.It suffices to appropriately remodel genomes ofbacteria or viruses causing cholera, plague, fluor hemorrhagic fever to turn the grim visions ofscience-fiction authors into a real threat.Unfortunately, progress in the field of genetics isincreasingly more often used for development ofbiological weapons. In 1998, David Kelly, a leadingUnited Nations specialist, warned about hissuspicions that works on such type of biologicalweapon had been conducted in Iraq under codenameCamel Pox. They were directed at producingpathogens, to which only Arabs would be resistant.Effect of this research is unknown. Wonter Basson,a military biologist from South Africa accused ofconducting studies on organisms directed specificallyagainst the black population, gained a nickname“Dr. Death.” In this case, the commentatorsemphasized a clearly emerging threat. There aremultiple such causes for concern. Even followingthe attacks on New York and Washingtonand in cases of sending anthrax by post, it seemsunlikely for the terrorists to have access to moreadvanced biological technologies. However, itmust be a cause for concern that genetic modificationof pathogens is easier than anticipated. Foryears, multiple biological weapons experts arguedthat the more modifications are introduced, thehttp://military.isl-journals.comgreater the risk of pathogens becoming less viableand no longer posing a presumed threat. However,it is sometimes sufficient to introduce even smallgenetic changes to transform a harmless microbeinto a lethal pathogen.Research conducted only several months agoby Australian scientists corroborated that. Theyaccidentally created a particularly dangerouspoxvirus following introduction of only onegene into its genome. Scientists from the AustralianNational University tested a pregnancy vaccine.They used a murine poxvirus transfectedwith interleukin IL-4 gene. It was supposed toinduce formation of ovulation-inhibiting antibodies.Instead, they completely blocked rodents’immunological response protecting them againstinfections. Until now, it seemed that such manipulationscould only weaken microorganisms.Worldwide arsenals contain 43 types of biologicalweapons. Viruses, bacteria, rickettsiae (intracellularmicroorganisms) are used for their production,including genetically modified lethalpathogens, more dangerous than those discoveredby scientists in a natural environment. In1997, anthrax bacilli containing an additionalgene were developed in Russia, against whichavailable vaccines do not provide any protection.The most dangerous virus called Ebolapox wasalso developed by crossing poxvirus with Ebola.This pathogen combines exceptional infectivityand huge mortality. Ken Alibek, the former headof secret Soviet laboratory, Biopreparat, locatedin 40 cities and employing 70 thousand people,confirmed those facts during his stay in the USA.Americans conducted similar research duringthe Cold War. In 1986, as a part of over fiftybiological weapon development programs leadby the Pentagon, American scientists inducedharmless E. coli bacteria to produce anthraxtoxin within the intestine. Journalists from “TheNew York Times” exposed this fact in a bestsellertitled “Germs: Biological Weapons and America’sSecret War.” It is worth noting that this researchis still continued. On that occasion, “Der Spiegel”disclosed that there are experiments conductedon behalf of the Bundeswehr regarding productionof Yersinia pestis resistant to antibiotics [5].A Russian biologist, Siergiej Popov, who emigratedfrom Russia to Great Britain in 1992 and121