Which type of biological agents are poisons produced by living organisms?
Biological toxins are a heterogeneous group produced by living organisms. One dictionary defines them as “Chemicals produced by living organisms that have toxic properties for another organism”. Toxins are very attractive to terrorists for use in acts of bioterrorism.
What are examples of biological agents?
Biological agents include bacteria, viruses, fungi, other microorganisms and their associated toxins. They have the ability to adversely affect human health in a variety of ways, ranging from relatively mild, allergic reactions to serious medical conditions—even death.
What three types of disease can biological agents cause?
Biological agents include viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, and they can cause health problems either directly or through exposure to related allergens or toxins. Work-related exposure to biological agents may be associated with several health problems, including infectious diseases, cancer and allergies.
What are bioterrorism agents?
Bioterrorism agents are pathogenic organisms or biological toxins that are used to produce death and disease in humans, animals, or plants for terrorist purposes.
What are the types of biological toxins?
Examples include botulinum toxins (A-G), tetanus toxin, and staphylococcal enterotoxins (A-F), which are produced by bacteria; tetrodotoxin, and ciguatoxin, which are produced by animals; and ricin toxin, tricothecence mycotoxins, and abrin, which are produced by plants.
What are hazardous biological agents?
They include bacteria, viruses, fungi (including yeasts and moulds) and internal human parasites (endoparasites). The majority of these agents are harmless however some may have potential to cause ill health.
What are biological threats?
A biologic threat is an infectious disease with the potential to spread and cause an outbreak. Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by germs (such as bacteria and viruses). Biologic threats may spread naturally, as in a worldwide flu outbreak or be released intentionally in a bioterrorism attack.
What cause biological agents?
Biological agents are widely found in the natural environment and as a result found in many work sectors. They include bacteria, viruses, fungi (including yeasts and moulds) and internal human parasites (endoparasites). The majority of these agents are harmless however some may have potential to cause ill health.
What is physical agent?
Physical agent is a term used to describe energies, the exposures to which in sufficient quantities and duration may result in illness or injury to human health. Physical agents include noise, ionizing or non-ionizing radiation, extremes in temperature and pressure, vibration, electric and magnetic fields.
What specifically are biological and chemical threats?
The agents reported here are: Anthrax, Botulism, Haemorrhagic Fever, Smallpox, the Plague, Tularaemia, Chlorine, Cyanide, Lewisite, Mustard Gas, Ricin, Sarin, Soman, Tabun and VX. This list is not exhaustive and no doubt other dangerous types could be produced.