Tables 1-6, Evaluation of BTW agents for BTWC

From ASA Newsletter, # 83, 01-2, April 12, 2001
POSSIBLE CRITERIA FOR SELECTING HUMAN, ANIMAL AND PLANT PATHOGENS AND TOXINS FOR THE BTWC

Criteria for Evaluating Agents for the BTWC

Table 1. Human and Zoonotic Pathogens (Viruses) Assessment
Viruses Weaponized High level of dissemination Low infection dose High level of morbidity High contagiousness (transmissibility man to man) Infection by variety of route (respiratory route) High level of incapacity/
mortality		 Stability in the environment Difficulty of detection/ identification No effective prophylaxis and/or therapy Ease of Production Totals +/-
                         
Crimean-Congo HF virus + + + + - + + + + + - 9/2
EEE virus + + + + - - + - + + - 7/4
Ebola virus + + + + + + + - + + + 10/1
Sin Nombre virus - + + + - + + - + + - 7/4
Hantaan virus + + + + - + - + + + - 8/3
Junin virus - + + + - + + - + + - 7/4
Lassa fever virus + + + + - + + + + + - 9/2
Machupo virus - + + + + + + - + + - 8/3
Marburg virus + + + + + - + - + + - 8/3
Rift Valley fever virus + + + + - - - + + - - 6/5
Tick-borne enceph. virus + + + + - - + + + - - 7/4
Variola major virus + + + + + + + + + - + 10/1
VEE virus + + + + - + + - + - - 7/4
WEE virus + + + + - + + - + - - 7/4
Yellow fever virus + + + + - + + - + - + 8/3
Monkeypox virus - + + + + + + + + - - 8/3
Chikun-Gunya fever v. (CHIK) - + + - - + - - + + - 5/6
Dengue fever virus + + + + - - - - + - - 5/6
Omsk HF virus - + + + - - - - + - - 4/7

 

Table 2. Human and Zoonotic Pathogens (bacteria, rickettsiae, protozoa and fungi) Assessment
  Weaponized High level of dissemination Low infection dose High level of morbidity High contagiousness (transmissibility man to man) Infection by a variety of route (respiratory route) High level of incapacity or mortality Stability in the environment Difficulty of detection/ identification No effective prophylaxis (vaccination) No effective therapy (antimicrobial) Ease of production Totals +/-
Bacteria
Bacillus anthracis + + + + - + + + + - - + 9/3
Brucella abortus + + + + - - - + + + - + 8/4
Brucella melitensis + + + + - - + + + + - + 9/3
Brucella suis + + + + - - - + + + - + 8/4
Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) mallei + + + + - + + + + + + + 11/1
Burkholderia (Pseudom.) pseudomallei + + + + - + + + + + + + 11/1
Chlamydia psittaci + + + + - + - + + + - - 8/4
Francisella tularensis + + + + - + + - + - - + 8/4
Yersinia pestis + + + + + + + - + - - + 9/3
Rickettsiae
Coxiella burnetti + + + + - + - + + - - - 7/5
Rickettsia prowazekii + + + + - - + - + + - - 7/5
Rickettsia rickettsii + + + + - + + - + + - - 8/4
Protozoa
Naegleria fowleri - + - + - + + - - + - + 6/6
Naegleria australiensis - + - + - + + - - + - + 6/6
Fungi
Coccidioides immitis - + - - - + + + + + - + 7/5
Histoplasma capsulatum - + - + - + - + + + + + 8/4
Nocardia asteroides - + - - - + + + + + - + 7/5

 

Table 3. Toxin assessment
Toxin/Bioregulator Weaponized High toxicity High morbidity Intoxication by respiratory route High level of incapacity/ mortality No effective prophylaxis/ therapy Stability in the environment Difficulty of detection/ identification Ease of production Totals +/-
                     
Abrin - + + + + + + + + 8/1
Aflatoxins + - + + + + + + + 8/1
Anatoxin A + + + + + + - + + 8/1
Batrachotoxin - + + + + + - + - 6/3
Botulinum toxins + + + + + - + + + 8/1
Brevetoxins - + + + + + + + - 7/2
Bungarotoxins + + + + + - - + - 6/3
Centruroides toxins - + + + + - + + - 6/3
Ciguatoxin - + + + + + - + - 6/3
Cyanginosins/Microcystins - + + + + + - + - 6/3
Diphtheria toxin - + + + + - - + - 5/4
Modeccin - + + + + + + + + 8/1
Palytoxin - + + + + + + + - 7/2
Ricin + + + + + + + + + 9/0
Saxitoxin + + + + + + + + - 8/1
Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEB) + + + + + + + + + 9/0
Shigatoxin + + + + + + + + + 9/0
Tetanus toxin + + + + + - + + + 8/1
Tetrodotoxin + + + + + + + + - 8/1
Toxins of Cl. perfrigens + + + + + + - + + 8/1
Trichotecene Mycotoxins (T2,DON,HT2) + + + + + + + + + 9/0
Verrucologen - + + + + + - + - 6/3
Viscumin - + + + + + + + + 8/1
Volkensin - + + + + + - + - 6/3
Endothelin/Sarafotoxin - + + + + + + + + 8/1
Table 4. Toxin Assessment According to Additional Criteria
(the lower the total number, the more dangerous the toxin as TW)
Toxin/ Bioregulator Toxicity Onset Level of incapacity/ mortality Likely methods of dissemination Stability in the environment/ storage Ease of decontamination Ease of production Totals
Abrin 2 6 5 5 5 5 1 29
Aflatoxins 7 8 5 5 5 1 3 34
Anatoxin A 5 1 6 7 6 8 3 36
Batrachotoxin 3 2 3 4 9 8 8 37
Botulinum toxins 1 3 7 3 2 6 1 23
Brevetoxins 6 6 2 4 2 3 8 31
Bungarotoxins 3 4 6 5 8 7 8 41
Centruroides toxins 3 4 6 5 2 5 8 33
Ciguatoxin 3 7 6 6 8 5 9 44
Cyanginosins/Microcystins 5 2 5 3 7 7 8 37
Diphtheria toxin 2 3 6 5 5 7 6 34
Modeccin 3 6 5 4 5 5 1 29
Palytoxin 2 4 8 3 5 3 9 34
Ricin 3 6 8 3 2 5 1 28
Saxitoxin 3 2 8 3 3 7 5 31
Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEB) 4 6 2 2 3 5 2 24
Shigatoxin 1 4 2 3 3 7 2 22
Tetanus toxin 1 9 8 4 3 7 2 34
Tetrodotoxin 3 4 5 3 5 5 9 34
Toxins of Cl. perfrigens 3 6 8 3 3 7 3 33
Trichotecene Mycotoxins (T2,DON,HT2) 7 2 7 2 1 2 2 23
Verrucologen 3 7 6 5 6 6 3 36
Viscumin 3 6 5 5 6 6 1 32
Volkensin 4 5 7 6 7 5 4 38
Endothelin/Sarafotoxin 6 1 7 2 3 5 4 28
Table 5. Animal Pathogens Assessment
Animal pathogens Weaponized Severe socio-economic/ human health impacts High morbidity/ mortality rates Short incubation period High transmissibility/ contagiousness Low infective/ toxic dose Difficult to diagnose/ identify at an early stage Stabilityin the environ-ment Lack of availability of cost-effective protection/ treatment Ease of production Totals +/-
Viruses
African swine fever virus - - + + + + + + + - 7/3
Avian influenza virus + - + + + + + + + - 8/2
Camel pox virus - - + + - + + + + - 6/4
Blue tongue virus - - - + - + + + - - 4/6
Classical swine fever virus + + + + + + + + - - 8/2
Foot and mouth virus - + + + + + - + - + 7/3
Newcastle disease virus + + + + + + + + - - 8/2
Pest des petits: ruminants virus - + + + + + + + - - 7/3
Rinderpest virus + + + + + + + + - - 8/2
Porcine enterovirus type 1 - - + + + + + + + - 7/3
Vesicular stomatitis virus - - + + + + + + + - 7/3
African horse sickness virus - - + + - + + - + - 5/5
Lumpy skin disease virus - - - + - + + + - - 4/6
Nipah swine encephalitis virus - + + + + + + + + - 8/2
Mycoplasmas
Contagious bovine (pleuropneum.) (M. mycoides var. mycoides type SC) (CBPP) - - - - + + + - - + 4/6
Contagious caprine (pleuropneum.) (M. capriculum var. capri pneumoniae type F38) (CCPP) - - - - + + + + - + 5/5
Table 6. Plant Pathogens Assessment
Plant pathogens Weaponized Severe socio- economic/ human health impacts Short incubation period Ease of dissemination (wind, insects, water, etc.) Short life cycle Low infective dose and infectivity Difficulty diagnose/ identify at an early stage Stabilityin the environ-ment Lack of availability of cost-effective protection/ treatment Ease of production Totals +/-
Fungi
Colletotrichum coffeanum var. virulans - - + + - + + + + + 7/3
Dothistroma pini (Scirrhia pini) - - + + - + + + + - 6/4
Claviceps purpurea - + + + - - + - + - 5/5
Peronospora hyoscyami de Bary - - + + - + + + + - 6/4
Puccinia graminis + + + + - + + + +