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

Next-Generation Biowarfare: Small in Scale, Sensational in Nature?

This report evaluates the changing nature of biological attacks.

2021

Tags: Civil Disruption, Countermeasures, Detection, Economic Consequences, Historical Weaponization Interest, Military Use, Mortality, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

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 De Novo Synthesis of Horsepox Virus: Implications for Biosecurity and Recommendations for Preventing the Reemergence of Smallpox

Discusses the potential dual-use threat arising from the synthesis of the first ever orthopox virus.

2017

Tags: Availability, Countermeasures, Detection, Genetic Modification, Military Use, Population Susceptibility, Production, Public Health, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Potential Risks and Benefits of Gain-of-Function Research

This report summarizes a public symposium ran by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine which discussed the potential benefits and risks of gain-of-function research.

2015

Tags: Availability, Countermeasures, Genetic Modification, Genetic Variation, Infectivity, Mortality, Novelty, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Tempering the Risk: Rift Valley Fever

This article assesses the risk of Rift Valley Fever being used as a bioweapon and weighs it against the burden placed on research by its addition to the select agents list.

2013

Tags: Countermeasures, Economic Consequences, Genetic Modification, Morbidity, Mortality, Production, Terrorist Use, 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

Scientists Urge DHS to Improve Bioterrorism Risk Assessment

A companion document to the publication by the National Research Council critiquing the DHS Biothreat Risk Analysis.

2008

Tags: Availability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Environmental Persistence, Genetic Modification, Morbidity, Mortality, Production, Stability, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

Department of Homeland Security Bioterrorism Risk Assessment: A Call for Change

The National Research Council evaluated the utility and soundness of the risk assessment process of DHS. In doing so, the evaluation provided information on how the process works, and the factors considered.

2008

Tags: Availability, Countermeasures, Detection, Dissemination, Economic Consequences, Environmental Persistence, Genetic Modification, Morbidity, Mortality, Production, Stability, Terrorist Use, 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

Development of a Risk-Priority Score for Category A Bioterrorism Agents as an Aid for Public Health Policy

The authors aim to create a multifactorial risk-priority scoring system for Category A BW agents using 10 criteria that include factors relating to disease potentiality, probability of attack, and prevention/intervention methods.

2006

Tags: Availability, Countermeasures, Decontamination, Genetic Modification, Historical Weaponization Interest, Infectivity, Mortality, Stability, Transmissibility

Agents of Bioterrorism: Pathogens and Their Weaponization

Provides a pathogen-by-pathogen accounting of weapons agents, considering their weapons use/potential and contextualizing that with typical medical microbiology and epidemiology background information.

2005

Tags: Countermeasures, Decontamination, Dissemination, Genetic Modification, Genetic Variation, Historical Weaponization Interest, Infectivity, Military Use, Morbidity, Mortality, Public Health, Terrorist Use, Transmissibility

The Weapon Potential of a Microbe

Relationship between virulence and weapon potential, with consideration of a variety of quantitative parameters.

2004

Tags: Civil Disruption, Countermeasures, Dissemination, Incubation, Infectivity, Morbidity, Population Susceptibility, Stability, Transmissibility

Learning from SARS: Preventing the Next Disease Outbreak

This report summarizes a workshop of the Forum on Emerging Infections that discussed the global response to SARS and the holes that it exposed in epidemic preparedness worldwide.

2004

Tags: Civil Disruption, Countermeasures, Detection, Economic Consequences, Infectivity, Public Health, Terrorist Use, 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

Browse Items (113 total)