Bioterrorism botulinum toxin

Aerosolized botulinum toxin is a possible mechanism for a bioterrorism attack... 

Botulinum toxin is the most toxic substance known. One gram of crystalline toxin adequately dispersed can kill a population of a million people, so its use in bioterrorism is a possibility. The toxin can be introduced through inhalation or ingestion but not through dermal... 

Wein, L.M., Liu, Y. (2005). Analyzing a bioterror attack on the food supply the case of botulinum toxin in milk. PNAS 102 9984-9. 

Botulinum toxins have been well studied for their use in the military. There is, however, no evidence to confirm its use in the past in any war. This agent can pose a dangerous threat to human population in any biological warfare or from the act of bioterrorism. The toxin can be dispersed in the air as aerosols or it can be mixed to contaminate water or food. Although it is banned, some countries are believed to possess clandestine stockpiles of this agent. 

Botulin toxin may also act as an inhalation poison. This property has been reveled for both pure and progenitor (a complex with auxiliary proteins) toxins (Park and Simpson, 2003). C. botulinum and its toxin were included onto the list of high-priority agents - in the highest A category of agents that may potentially be used in bioterrorism (Khan et al., 2000 Sobel et al., 2002). 

Overall, about 400 toxins have been identified, which are certainly but a small proportion of what is actually found in nature. Out of this remarkable inventory, several are reckoned as typical bioterrorism agents. Presented here are few prominent toxins two protein toxins (botulinum and SEE)—hence detectible and treatable by anti-toxins—and three non-protein toxins (T-2 toxin, aflatoxin and aconitine), hence hardly detectable or treatable by antidotes. Etiological diagnosis of toxins is often extremely complicated. 

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