All Topics  
Biological agent

 
Biological Agent

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Biological agent
 
 
  Topics Biological agent Topic Home

A biological agent is an infectious disease
Infectious disease

An infectious disease is a clinically evident disease resulting from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including pathogenic viruses, pathogenic bacteria, Mycosis, protozoa, multicellular parasites, and aberrant proteins known as prions....
 or toxin
Toxin

A toxin is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms. For a toxic substance not produced by living organisms, "toxicant" is the more appropriate term, and "toxics" is an acceptable plural....
 that can be used in bioterrorism
Bioterrorism

Bioterrorism is terrorism by intentional release or dissemination of biological agents ; these may be in a naturally-occurring or in a human-modified form....
 or biological warfare
Biological warfare

Biological warfare , also known as germ warfare, is the use of pathogens as biological weapons . Using nonliving toxic products, even if produced by living organisms , is considered chemical warfare under the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention....
. There are more than 1200 different kinds of biological agents.

Biological agents include prion
Prion

A prion is an infectious disease that is comprised entirely of a reproduction, mis-folded protein. The mis-folded form of the prion protein has been implicated in a number of diseases in a variety of mammals, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans....
s, virus
Virus

A virus is a Optical microscope#Limitations of light microscopes infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell . Viruses infect all cellular life....
es, microorganism
Microorganism

A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic . The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design....
s (bacteria and fungi
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
) and some unicellular and multicellular eukaryote
Eukaryote

Animals, plants, fungus, and protists are eukaryotes , organisms whose Cell are organized into complex structures enclosed within Cell membrane....
s (for example parasites) and their associated toxins. They have the ability to adversely affect human health
Health

In 1948, the World Health Organisation defined health as ?a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.? ...
 in a variety of ways, ranging from allergic reactions
Allergy

Allergy is a Disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to Natural environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are Acquired disorder, predictable and rapid....
 that are usually relatively mild, to serious medical conditions, even death
Death

Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that define a life organism. It refers to both a particular event and to the condition that results thereby....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Biological agent'
Start a new discussion about 'Biological agent'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


A biological agent is an infectious disease
Infectious disease

An infectious disease is a clinically evident disease resulting from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including pathogenic viruses, pathogenic bacteria, Mycosis, protozoa, multicellular parasites, and aberrant proteins known as prions....
 or toxin
Toxin

A toxin is a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms. For a toxic substance not produced by living organisms, "toxicant" is the more appropriate term, and "toxics" is an acceptable plural....
 that can be used in bioterrorism
Bioterrorism

Bioterrorism is terrorism by intentional release or dissemination of biological agents ; these may be in a naturally-occurring or in a human-modified form....
 or biological warfare
Biological warfare

Biological warfare , also known as germ warfare, is the use of pathogens as biological weapons . Using nonliving toxic products, even if produced by living organisms , is considered chemical warfare under the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention....
. There are more than 1200 different kinds of biological agents.

Biological agents include prion
Prion

A prion is an infectious disease that is comprised entirely of a reproduction, mis-folded protein. The mis-folded form of the prion protein has been implicated in a number of diseases in a variety of mammals, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans....
s, virus
Virus

A virus is a Optical microscope#Limitations of light microscopes infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell . Viruses infect all cellular life....
es, microorganism
Microorganism

A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic . The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design....
s (bacteria and fungi
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
) and some unicellular and multicellular eukaryote
Eukaryote

Animals, plants, fungus, and protists are eukaryotes , organisms whose Cell are organized into complex structures enclosed within Cell membrane....
s (for example parasites) and their associated toxins. They have the ability to adversely affect human health
Health

In 1948, the World Health Organisation defined health as ?a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.? ...
 in a variety of ways, ranging from allergic reactions
Allergy

Allergy is a Disorder of the immune system often also referred to as atopy. Allergic reactions occur to Natural environmental substances known as allergens; these reactions are Acquired disorder, predictable and rapid....
 that are usually relatively mild, to serious medical conditions, even death
Death

Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that define a life organism. It refers to both a particular event and to the condition that results thereby....
. These organisms are ubiquitous in the natural environment
Natural environment

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all life and non-living things occurring nature on Earth or some region thereof....
; they are found in water, soil, plants, and animals. Because many biological agents reproduce rapidly and require minimal resources for preservation, they are a potential danger in a wide variety of occupational settings.

Examples of biological agents are

Mycotic Biological Agents

  • OC - Coccidioides mycosis


Bacterial Biological Agents

  • N - anthrax
    Anthrax

    Anthrax is an Acute disease in humans and animals caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is highly lethal in some forms. There are effective vaccines against anthrax, and some forms of the disease respond well to antibiotic treatment....
  • TR - anthrax
    Anthrax

    Anthrax is an Acute disease in humans and animals caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is highly lethal in some forms. There are effective vaccines against anthrax, and some forms of the disease respond well to antibiotic treatment....
  • LE - plague
    Plague

    Plague may refer to:...
  • UL - tularemia
    Tularemia

    Tularemia is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. A gram-negative, motility coccobacillus, the bacterium has several subspecies with varying degrees of virulence....
     (schu S4)
  • TT - wet-type UL
  • ZZ - dry-type UL
  • SR - tularemia
  • JT - tularemia (425)
  • HO - cholera
    Cholera

    Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic or epidemic cholera, is an infectious gastroenteritis caused by enterotoxin-producing strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae....
  • AB - bovine brucellosis
    Brucellosis

    Brucellosis, also called undulant fever, or Malta fever, is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of Sterilization_ milk or meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions....
  • US - porcine brucellosis
  • NX - porcine brucellosis
  • AM - caprine brucellosis
  • BX - caprine brucellosis
  • Y - bacterial dysentery
    Dysentery

    Dysentery is a disorder of the digestive system that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the feces. If untreated, Dysentery can be fatal....
  • LA - Glanders
    Glanders

    Glanders is an infectious disease that occurs primarily in horses, mules, and donkeys. It can be contracted by other animals such as dogs, cats and goats....
  • HI - Melioidosis
    Melioidosis

    Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by a Gram-negative bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, found in soil and water. It is of public health importance in endemic areas, particularly in Thailand and northern Australia....
  • DK - diphtheria
    Diphtheria

    Diphtheria is an upper Respiration tract illness characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity....
  • TQ -listeriosis
    Listeriosis

    Listeriosis is a list of infectious diseases caused by a gram-positive, Motility bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis is relatively rare and occurs primarily in newborn infants, elderly patients, and patients who are immunocompromised....


Chlamydial Biological Agents

  • SI - psittacosis
    Psittacosis

    In medicine , psittacosis — also known as parrot disease, parrot fever, and ornithosis — is a zoonosis infectious diseases caused by a bacterium called Chlamydophila psittaci and contracted not only from parrots, such as macaws, cockatiels and budgerigars, but also from pigeons, sparrows, ducks, Chickens, gu...


Rickettsial Biological Agents

  • RI - rocky mountain spotted fever
    Rocky Mountain spotted fever

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas....
  • UY - rocky mountain spotted fever
  • OU - Q fever
    Q fever

    Q fever is a disease caused by infection with Coxiella burnetii, a bacterium that affects both humans and animals. This organism is uncommon but may be found in cow, sheep, goats and other domestic mammals, including cats and dogs....
  • MN - wet-type OU
  • NT - dry-type OU
  • YE - human typhus
    Typhus

    Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters. The causative organism is Rickettsia prowazekii, transmitted by the human body louse ....
  • AV - murine typhus


Viral Biological Agents

  • OJ - yellow fever
    Yellow fever

    Yellow fever is an acute Virus disease. It is an important cause of hemorrhage illness in many African and South American countries despite existence of an effective vaccine....
  • UT - yellow fever
  • LU - yellow fever
  • FA - rift valley fever
    Rift Valley fever

    Rift Valley Fever is a viral zoonosis causing fever. It is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, typically the Aedes or Culex genera. The disease is caused by the RVF virus , a member of the genus Phlebovirus ....
  • NU - Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis
  • TD - Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis
  • FX - Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis
  • ZX - Eastern Equine Encephalitis
  • ZL - smallpox
    Smallpox

    Smallpox is an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning spotted, or varus, meaning "pimple"....
  • AN - Japanese B Encephalitis


Biological Vectors

  • AP = Aedes aegypti
    Aedes aegypti

    The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti , is a mosquito that can spread the dengue fever, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases as well....
     mosquito


Biological Toxins

  • X - botulinum toxin
    Botulinum toxin

    Botulinum toxin is a medication and a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is the most toxic protein known with an LD50 of roughly 0.005-0.05 ?g/kg....
     A
  • XR - partially purified botulinum toxin A
  • W - ricin
    Ricin

    Ricin is a protein toxin that is solvent extraction from the Castor oil plant .The US Centers for Disease Control gives a possible minimum figure of 500 micrograms for the lethal dose of ricin in humans if exposure is from injection or inhalation....
  • WA - ricin
  • UC - staphylococcal enterotoxin B
    Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

    Staphylococcal enterotoxin B is the toxin commonly associated with food poisoning.It is produced by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and is known for causing acute vomiting and diarrhoea after hours after ingesting food stuff that has undergone temperature abuse....
  • PG - staphylococcal enterotoxin B
  • TZ - saxitoxin
    Saxitoxin

    Saxitoxin is a neurotoxin naturally produced by certain species of marine dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria . The term saxitoxin originates from the butter clam in which it was first recognized....
  • SS - saxitoxin
  • PP - tetrodotoxin
    Tetrodotoxin

    Tetrodotoxin is a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote. Tetrodotoxin blocks action potentials in nerves by binding to the pores of the voltage-gated, fast sodium channels in neuron cell membrane....


Simuants

  • MR - molasis residium
  • BG - Bacillus globigii
  • BS - Bacillus globigii
  • U - Bacillus globigii
  • SM - Serratia marescens
  • P - Serratia marescens
  • AF - Aspergillus fumigatus mutant C-2
  • EC - E. coli
  • BT - Bacillus thursidius
  • EH - Erwinia hebicola
  • FP - fluorescent particle


See also

  • Biological hazard
    Biological hazard

    A biological hazard or biohazard is an organism, or substance derived from an organism, that poses a threat to human health. This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can impact human health....


External links