Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Modeling The Lifecycle Of Ebola Virus Under Biosafety Level 2 Conditions With Virus-like Particles Containing Tetracistronic Minigenomes
10:11

Modeling The Lifecycle Of Ebola Virus Under Biosafety Level 2 Conditions With Virus-like Particles Containing Tetracistronic Minigenomes

Published on: September 27, 2014

[Viruses as biological weapons]

Alper Akçali1

  • 1Refik Saydam Hifzissihha Merkezi Başkanliği, Viroloji Laboratuvari, Ankara.

Mikrobiyoloji Bulteni
|December 20, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Governments and terrorists may use biological weapons, causing fear. This review details viral agents like smallpox and Nipah virus, covering their characteristics, diagnosis, and protection.

Area of Science:

  • Biosecurity and public health
  • Infectious disease epidemiology
  • Microbiology

Context:

  • The threat of biological weapons (BW) from state and non-state actors is a significant global concern.
  • The potential for widespread fear and societal disruption necessitates preparedness.
  • Viruses are increasingly considered for BW use due to low production costs and limited medical countermeasures.

Purpose:

  • To review the characteristics, diagnosis, therapy, and protective measures for specific viral agents with potential BW applications.
  • To consolidate information on variola virus, hemorrhagic fever viruses, encephalitis viruses, Hantaviruses, and Nipah viruses.

Summary:

  • This review summarizes key aspects of several viral agents that could be weaponized.
  • It covers variola virus (smallpox), various hemorrhagic fever viruses, encephalitis viruses, Hantaviruses, and Nipah viruses.
  • Information includes general characteristics, diagnostic methods, treatment options, and essential protective strategies.

Impact:

  • Enhances understanding of viral threats in biosecurity.
  • Provides a consolidated resource for public health officials and researchers.
  • Informs the development of countermeasures and response strategies against biological weapon threats.

More Related Videos

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology11:13

Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 3. Aerobiology

Published on: October 3, 2016

Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm11:12

Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm

Published on: April 12, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Virus01:28

Introduction to Virus

Viruses are unique biological entities that blur the boundary between living and non-living systems. Although they lack cellular structure and metabolic processes, they can exhibit characteristics of life when infecting a host. Their defining feature is a nucleic acid core, composed of either DNA or RNA, encapsulated within a protein coat called a capsid. This simple structure allows them to invade host cells and use their machinery for replication efficiently.Viral Structure and...
What are Viruses?00:50

What are Viruses?

Overview
Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes01:26

Size and Structure of Viral Genomes

Viral genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in size, structure, and composition, influencing their replication strategies and interactions with host cells. These genomes consist of either DNA or RNA and may be linear or circular. Additionally, they can be single-stranded or double-stranded, with each configuration affecting how the virus propagates within a host. RNA viruses, for instance, generally have smaller genomes than DNA viruses, a factor that contributes to their high mutation rates and...
Viral Structure00:56

Viral Structure

Viruses are extraordinarily diverse in shape and size, but they all have several structural features in common. All viruses have a core that contains a DNA- or RNA-based genome. The core is surrounded by a protective coat of proteins called the capsid. The capsid is composed of subunits called capsomeres. The capsid and genome-containing core are together known as the nucleocapsid.
Bacteriophages of the Human Virome01:23

Bacteriophages of the Human Virome

Bacteriophages are found throughout the human body. They may even outnumber eukaryotic viruses, forming an important and dynamic component of the human virome. Indeed, phages represent the most abundant viral entities, with densities in the gut reaching up to 10⁹ particles per gram of fecal matter, and many belonging to orders such as Caudovirales and Microviridae, while a substantial proportion remains unclassified as viral “dark matter.”Lysogeny and Genetic ExchangeIn the gut, bacteriophages...