Botulinum Toxin and Nerve Agents
Botulinum
Botulinum is a toxin that damages or destroys nerve tissue. The seven serotypes
of botulinum toxin (A through G) produced by the micro-organism Clostridium
botulinum are some of the
most toxic substances known and can be absorbed through mucosal tissue (e.g.,
the stomach or lungs) and open wounds and inhaled via aerosol dispersion. According
to the Center for Civilian
Biodefense Strategies, botulinum toxin
poses a major bioweapons threat because of its extreme potency and lethality;
its ease of production, transport,
and misuse; and the need for prolonged intensive care among affected persons.1 Prior
to the use of canned and preserved goods, botulinum poisoning was rare. With
the introduction of food preservation, botulinum poisoning emerged as a widespread problem due to the
preservation process and inadequate sterilization techniques. "Unlike other toxins, botulinum
appears to cause the same disease after inhalation, oral ingestion, or injection.
Death results from muscle paralysis and ventilatory failure."2
The development and use of botulinum toxin as a potential biological weapon
is not a new concept. Members of the Japanese biological warfare group Unit
731 admitted to "feeding
cultures of Clostridium botulinum to prisoners in the 1930s."3 The Aum
Shinrikyo cult in Japan "weaponized and
attempted to disseminate botulinum toxin on multiple occasions in Tokyo prior
to their 1995 Sarin attack in
the Tokyo subway."4 In 1995, Iraq acknowledged that it had produced
19,000 litres of botulinum
to the United Nations Special Commission.
Nerve Agents
Nerve agents are chemicals
that disrupt the transmission of nerve impulses in the body. These agents are the most toxic
chemical warfare agents known. They are hazardous in both their liquid and vapor states and can
cause death within minutes after exposure. Developed and produced in pre-World War II
Germany, nerve agents were placed into munitions but never used against allied troops.
However, the Germans did test nerve agents on inmates of concentration camps, not only to
investigate their injurious effects but also to develop antidotes.5
The nerve agents most frequently discussed are sarin (GB), tabun (GA), soman (GD) and VX.
The G-type agents share a number of common physical
and chemical properties. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, because the G-type agents are volatile liquids at room temperature,
they pose a serious risk for exposure via skin contact with a liquid or inhalation of a vapor. Nerve
agents are soluble in water; therefore, they are easily absorbed through the eyes, respiratory tract,
and skin. Exposure to these agents can cause tightness of the chest, abdominal cramps, tremors,
and death.
Endnotes
1. "Botulinum Toxin as a Biological Weapon: Medical and Public Health Management." Journal
of the American Medical Association. Vol. 285, No. 8. February 2001.
2. "Botulinum Toxins." Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Chemical and
Biological Warfare. Borden Institute. U.S. Department of the Army. Chapter 33, pages 643-654.
1996.
3. "Botulinum Toxin as a Biological Weapon: Medical and Public Health Management." Journal
of the American Medical Association. Vol. 285, No. 8. February 2001.
4. Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook, Fourth Edition. U.S. Army Medical
Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, February 2001, pages 63-69.
5. "Nerve Agents." Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological
Warfare. Borden Institute. U.S. Department of the Army. Chapter 5, pages 129-179.
Related Publications
Botulinum Toxin as a Biological Weapon: Medical and Public Health Management
Journal of the American Medical Association, February 2001
Botulinum Toxin: From Poison to Medicinal Agent
Applied Science & Analysis Center, 2002
Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook (Fifth Edition)
U.S. Army Medical Research, Institute of Infectious Diseases, August 2004
NIOSH Emergency Response Card: Sarin
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 2003
ToxFaqs for Nerve Agents (GA, GB, GD, VX)
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Helpful Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response
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