Browse Items · Collection of Biothreat Risk Assessments (COBRA)

Classification of Etiologic Agents on the Basis of Hazard

Provided a basis for stratification of agents into classes based on their risks and requisite biosafety protocols for working with each of these classes. This then allowed determination of the types of measures appropriate for each risk level/agent.

1969
1970
1972
1974-76

Tags: Controllability, Transmissibility

Genome Editing and Biological Weapons

Assesses the risk of recent advances in genome editing technologies to enabling development of biological weapons.

2022

Tags: Availability, Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Environmental Persistence, Genetic Modification, Historical Weaponization Interest, Infectivity, Military Use, Morbidity, Mortality, Population Susceptibility, Risk Assessment, Stability, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Defense Against Biological Attacks Vol II

Volume II provides high-level overviews of the biological agents that are most commonly associated with biodefense activities. Additional chapters present the status quo of antibacterial and antiviral therapy and diagnostic development.

2021

Tags: Civil Disruption, Controllability, Countermeasures, Decontamination, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Genetic Modification, Genetic Variation, Historical Weaponization Interest, Incubation, Infectivity, Morbidity, Mortality, Production, Stability, Terrorist Use

Handbook on Biological Warfare Preparedness

Introduces the basics of biological warfare agent history, biology, and preparedness. Places particular focus on detection technologies.

2019

Beyond the Dirty Dozen: A Proposed Methodology for Assessing Future Bioweapons Threats

Looks at bioweaponry in the context of state-sponsored warfare. Created a scoring matrix to evaluate weaponization potential where agents were ranked from 0-3 across 12 risk attributes by NATO biodefense experts.

2018

Tags: Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Incubation, Infectivity, Morbidity, Mortality, Production, Stability, Transmissibility

The Soviet Biological Weapons Program

This book thoroughlydescribes the Soviet biological weapons problem and assesses potential lingering risks in its wake.

2012

Tags: Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Environmental Persistence, Genetic Modification, Incubation, Infectivity, Military Use, Morbidity, Mortality, Population Susceptibility, Production, Stability, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Pandemic Influenza - Including a Risk Assessment of H5N1

This report evaluates the pandemic threat posed by H5N1 avian virus.

2009

Tags: Controllability, Genetic Variation, Mortality, Transmissibility

Development of Methodology to Prioritise Wildlife Pathogens for Surveillance

Considered impact of disease outbreaks with a focus on wildlife populations (as well as human and livestock). Implemented metrics for estimating the likelihood and consequences of spread of the pathogens.

2007

Tags: Availability, Controllability, Infectivity, Morbidity, Mortality, Population Susceptibility, Transmissibility

Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism

Also known as the Fink Report, presented findings of the Committee on Research Standards and Practices to Prevent the Destructive Application of Biotechnology, which investigated the risks of misuse of biotechnology research.

2004

Tags: Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Infectivity, Military Use, Morbidity, Production, Stability, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Microbial Threats to Health

This book describes all microbial threats to human health, especially considering the intentional use of microbes as weapons and the consequences of scientific advancement.

2003

Tags: Civil Disruption, Controllability, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Environmental Persistence, Genetic Modification, Genetic Variation, Historical Weaponization Interest, Infectivity, Morbidity, Mortality, Novelty, Population Susceptibility, Production, Public Health, Stability, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

The Emergence of Zoonotic Diseases

This report summarizes the findings of the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Emerging Infections' workshop about zoonoses.

2002

Tags: Civil Disruption, Controllability, Economic Consequences, Genetic Variation, Historical Weaponization Interest, Military Use, Mortality, Novelty, Public Health, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Iraq's Biological Weapons

Surveys Iraq's capabilities in BW during and after the Gulf War, aiming to identify whether continued risk exists for BW development.

1997

Tags: Controllability, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Infectivity, Military Use, Morbidity, Mortality, Production, Stability

Clinical Recognition and Management of Patients Exposed to Biological Warfare Agents

This provides a primer on 10 different biological weapon's symptoms to aid in a prompt clinical diagnosis.

1997

Tags: Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Environmental Persistence, Historical Weaponization Interest, Incubation, Infectivity, Military Use, Morbidity, Mortality, Public Health, Stability, Transmissibility

Peace or Pestilence: Biological Warfare and How to Avoid It

Authored by Theodor Rosebury, the author of Experimental Air-Borne Infection. The purpose of the work is to inform the public about biological warfare in the face of a lack of government transparency.

1949

Tags: Availability, Civil Disruption, Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Infectivity, Morbidity, Mortality, Stability, Transmissibility

If Biological Warfare Comes

The author provides an example scenario of a biological attack and discusses what makes various agents potentially effective candidates for biological warfare.

1948

Tags: Civil Disruption, Coagents, Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Environmental Persistence, Infectivity, Novelty, Population Susceptibility, Production, Stability, Transmissibility

Bacterial Warfare: A Critical Analysis of the Available Agents, Their Possible Military Applications, and the Means for Protection Against Them

Description of transmission routes/pathways for grouping infectious diseases broadly (food- and water-borne, contact, air-borne, vector-borne, endogenous). Criteria for selection of infective agents that pose biological warfare risk. Rules out a list…

1947

Tags: Availability, Controllability, Countermeasures, Decontamination, Detection, Infectivity, Military Use, Mortality, Population Susceptibility, Transmissibility

Bacterial Warfare: The Use of Biologic Agents in Warfare

Evaluates possibility of BW in response to public interest/concern. Reviews practical limitations to development and use of biological weapons. Covers Intestinal Disease, Respiratory Disease, Insect-Transmitted Disease, Infective (Non-Communicable)…

1933

Tags: Availability, Controllability, Countermeasures, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Incubation, Infectivity, Military Use, Morbidity, Mortality, Population Susceptibility, Production, Stability, Transmissibility

Emerging Technology and Risk Analysis: Synthetic Pandemics.

Assessed whether engineering pathogens capable of "sustained, human-to-human transmission and causing mortality and morbidity" is possible/probable. Also considers how such pathogens would compare to naturally emergent pathogens in these regards, the…

2024

Tags: Availability, Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Genetic Modification, Genetic Variation, Incubation, Infectivity, Morbidity, Mortality, Novelty, Production, Risk Assessment, Stability, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Techniques and Decision Support Framework for Informing Select Agent Designation for Agricultural Animal Pathogens

This report assesses the utility of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and decision support framework (DSF) in assisting the US Department of Agriculture in its reviews of select agents. It uses the method to assess 41 pathogens against 21…

2023

Tags: Availability, Controllability, Countermeasures, Decontamination, Economic Consequences, Environmental Persistence, Genetic Modification, Historical Weaponization Interest, Incubation, Infectivity, Mortality, Population Susceptibility, Production, Public Health, Stability, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Understanding the Threat of Biological Weapons in a World with COVID

Author surveys bioweapons experts to roadmap the most important historical trends surrounding bioweapon risk and policy (motivators, inhibitors, drivers, wild cards) from the 1940s to present day. With this information, the author attempts to create…

2022

Tags: Availability, Civil Disruption, Controllability, Countermeasures, Detection, Economic Consequences, Public Health

Browse Items (86 total)