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BIOLOGICAL WARFARE

Biological agents are not known to have ever been used as part of a modern weapons systems. There is some doubt about their tactical (immediate) effectiveness. However, as a strategic device, as a covert weapon, biological agents are ideally suited. Throughout the history of warfare, disease has been as effective as combat in causing casualties. Recall the plagues that swept Europe during the Middle Ages or. more recently, the influenza outbreaks of 1918, 1958, and 1968. Any epidemic can totally disrupt normal functioning. Imagine being able to cause an epidemic when and where you choose, and you have some idea of the potential military strategic usefulness of biological warfare. The importance of planning and training for defense against chemical and biological agents cannot be overstated.

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

Chemical and biological (CB) weapons have unique characteristics that distinguish them from conventional or nuclear weapons.

CB weapons do not destroy material; they are antipersonnel in the truest sense. They effectively penetrate buildings, fortifications, ships, and aircraft, without physically damaging the target, to produce casualties.

CB weapons are particularly adaptable for use against large groups of people. Densely populated areas having transportation or manufacturing facilities that must be preserved for economic or political reasons would be ideal targets. Large numbers of casualties can be produced with minimal damage to property.

There are differences between chemical and biological weapons that determine their usefulness in a particular situation. In general, chemical weapons are more suited for tactical, short-term local use, while biological weapons have a strategic, long-range goal. Several factors contribute to this.

Chemical agents produce their effects within seconds to hours; the effects of exposure to biological agents may not occur for several hours to days.

Human susceptibility to chemical agents is universal; immunity to disease from biological agents varies widely.

There is, as yet, no effective method of immunization against chemical agents, but a variety of vaccines is available for many biological agents, i.e., small-pox, bubonic plague, and typhus and typhoid fever,

There are specific antidotes for chemical agents that are effective; but for many biological agents, no specific curative treatment exists, and some are specifically tailored to be drug-resistant, i.e., recombinant or mutant bacterial and viral agents.

CHEMICAL AGENTS

In any discussion of toxic chemical agents, it is convenient to consider them under several classifications. The broadest classification we will use is based on the general effect produced (i.e., severe casualty, harassment, or incapacitation). Within each general group, there are further breakdowns. The most convenient, from a medical point of view, is the classification by physiologic effect.

Casualty-producing chemical agents include:

Nerve agents, which produce their effect by interfering with normal transmission of nerve impulses in the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system.

Blister agents or vesicants, which cause severe blistering of exposed skin.

Blood agents, which interfere with enzyme functions in the body, i.e., block oxygen transfer.

Choking agents, which irritate the bronchi and cause pulmonary edema.

Under incapacitants, the psychochemical are the main group. They produce mental confusion and inability to function intelligently.

Harassing agents are also called riot control agents and include:

Tear gas, which causes severe tearing and eye pain, but for a very short duration.