Biological agents , also known as biological weapons or bioweapons , are pathogens used as weapons. In addition to these living or replicating pathogens , toxins and biotoxins are also included among the bio-agents. More than 1,200 different kinds of potentially weaponizable bio-agents have been described and studied to date.
31-469: [REDACTED] Look up Agent or agent in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law [ edit ] Espionage § Agents in espionage , spies or intelligence officers Law of agency , laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another Agent of record , a person with
62-420: A Finnish schlager/rock'n'roll band The Agents (Australian band) , led by James Griffin "Intro: The Agent", by Rhymefest from El Che (2010) "The Agent" (Little Man Tate song) (2006) Other uses in arts and entertainment [ edit ] Agent (video game) , a stealth action game Science and technology [ edit ] Biology and chemistry [ edit ] Biological agent ,
93-576: A Marvel Comics character Agent ( The Matrix ) , a group of characters in the series The Agents, superhuman characters in Seven Samurai 20XX Film and television [ edit ] The Agent (1922 film) , featuring Oliver Hardy The Agent (2010 film) , a short film Agent (film) , a spy thriller film Agent (TV series) , a Polish reality competition Music [ edit ] Agent (band) , an American hardcore band from Long Island, New York Agents (Finnish band) ,
124-455: A bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, or fungus used as a weapon Chemical agent, used as a chemical weapon Computing [ edit ] Agent architecture , a blueprint for software agents and control systems Agent-based model , a computational model for simulating the actions and interactions of individuals Intelligent agent , an autonomous, goal-directed entity which observes and acts upon an environment Software agent ,
155-440: A contractual agreement with an insurance policy owner Election agent , a person responsible for the conduct of a political campaign Free agent , a sports player who is eligible to sign with any club or franchise Literary agent , an agent who represents writers and their written works Modeling agency , a person or a corporation which represents fashion models Press agent , a professional publicist Foreign agent ,
186-523: A legal representative for professional sports figures such as athletes and coaches Talent agent or booking agent, a person who finds jobs for entertainment professionals Trade mark agent , a person who represents clients in trade mark matters Travel agent , a retailer that provides travel and tourism related services Special agent , an American criminal investigator or detective for example Arts and entertainment [ edit ] Fictional characters [ edit ] Agent (comics) ,
217-631: A list of bio-agents designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the U.S. Department of Agriculture that have the "potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety" to be officially defined as " select agents " and possession or transportation of them are tightly controlled as such. Select agents are divided into "HHS select agents and toxins", "USDA select agents and toxins" and "Overlap select agents and toxins". The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) breaks biological agents into three categories: Category A, Category B, and Category C . Category A agents pose
248-601: A model Agent (grammar) , in linguistics, the thematic relation of a cause or initiator to an event Agent noun , a word identifying an actor, derived from a word denoting an action Cleaning agent , a substance used to remove bad smells, clutter, dirt, dust, or stains on surfaces See also [ edit ] All pages with titles containing Agent All pages with titles beginning with Agent Agency (disambiguation) Agent 13 (disambiguation) Agent X (disambiguation) Bot (disambiguation) Get Smart , an American comedy TV series which parodies
279-404: A person authorized to act on behalf of another Agent of record , a person with a contractual agreement with an insurance policy owner Election agent , a person responsible for the conduct of a political campaign Free agent , a sports player who is eligible to sign with any club or franchise Literary agent , an agent who represents writers and their written works Modeling agency ,
310-401: A person or a corporation which represents fashion models Press agent , a professional publicist Foreign agent , a person who carries out the interests of a foreign country Political agent (disambiguation) Patent attorney , an attorney who represents clients in patent matters Real estate agent , an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate Registered agent , in
341-488: A person who carries out the interests of a foreign country Political agent (disambiguation) Patent attorney , an attorney who represents clients in patent matters Real estate agent , an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate Registered agent , in the US, receives service of process for a party in a legal action Shipping agent , a person responsible for handling shipments and cargo Sports agent ,
SECTION 10
#1732773022758372-406: A piece of software that acts for a user or other program User agent , software that is acting on behalf of a user Other uses [ edit ] Agency (philosophy) , the capacity of an actor to act in a given environment Agency (psychology) , an attribute of humans and non-human animals Agent (economics) , an actor and decision maker in a model Agent (grammar) , in linguistics,
403-438: A potential danger in a wide variety of occupational settings. The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention is an international treaty banning the development, use or stockpiling of biological weapons; as of March 2021, there were 183 states parties to the treaty. Bio-agents are, however, widely studied for both defensive and medical research purposes under various biosafety levels and within biocontainment facilities throughout
434-528: A retailer that provides travel and tourism related services Special agent , an American criminal investigator or detective for example Arts and entertainment [ edit ] Fictional characters [ edit ] Agent (comics) , a Marvel Comics character Agent ( The Matrix ) , a group of characters in the series The Agents, superhuman characters in Seven Samurai 20XX Film and television [ edit ] The Agent (1922 film) , featuring Oliver Hardy The Agent (2010 film) ,
465-524: A short film Agent (film) , a spy thriller film Agent (TV series) , a Polish reality competition Music [ edit ] Agent (band) , an American hardcore band from Long Island, New York Agents (Finnish band) , a Finnish schlager/rock'n'roll band The Agents (Australian band) , led by James Griffin "Intro: The Agent", by Rhymefest from El Che (2010) "The Agent" (Little Man Tate song) (2006) Other uses in arts and entertainment [ edit ] Agent (video game) ,
496-421: A stealth action game Science and technology [ edit ] Biology and chemistry [ edit ] Biological agent , a bacterium, virus, protozoan, parasite, or fungus used as a weapon Chemical agent, used as a chemical weapon Computing [ edit ] Agent architecture , a blueprint for software agents and control systems Agent-based model , a computational model for simulating
527-441: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Agent [REDACTED] Look up Agent or agent in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law [ edit ] Espionage § Agents in espionage , spies or intelligence officers Law of agency , laws involving
558-431: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Biological agent Some biological agents have the ability to adversely affect human health in a variety of ways, ranging from relatively mild allergic reactions to serious medical conditions, including serious injury, as well as serious or permanent disability or even death . Many of these organisms are ubiquitous in
589-425: The natural environment where they are found in water, soil, plants, or animals. Bio-agents may be amenable to "weaponization" to render them easier to deploy or disseminate. Genetic modification may enhance their incapacitating or lethal properties, or render them impervious to conventional treatments or preventives. Since many bio-agents reproduce rapidly and require minimal resources for propagation, they are also
620-501: The Geneva Protocol, several countries made reservations regarding its applicability and use in retaliation. Due to these reservations, it was in practice a " no-first-use " agreement only. The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention supplements the Geneva Protocol by prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological weapons. Having entered into force on 26 March 1975, this agreement
651-431: The US, receives service of process for a party in a legal action Shipping agent , a person responsible for handling shipments and cargo Sports agent , a legal representative for professional sports figures such as athletes and coaches Talent agent or booking agent, a person who finds jobs for entertainment professionals Trade mark agent , a person who represents clients in trade mark matters Travel agent ,
SECTION 20
#1732773022758682-580: The absence of any formal verification regime to monitor compliance. In 1985, the Australia Group was established, a multilateral export control regime of 43 countries aiming to prevent the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons. In 2004, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1540 , which obligates all UN Member States to develop and enforce appropriate legal and regulatory measures against
713-529: The actions and interactions of individuals Intelligent agent , an autonomous, goal-directed entity which observes and acts upon an environment Software agent , a piece of software that acts for a user or other program User agent , software that is acting on behalf of a user Other uses [ edit ] Agency (philosophy) , the capacity of an actor to act in a given environment Agency (psychology) , an attribute of humans and non-human animals Agent (economics) , an actor and decision maker in
744-456: The efficiency of various dissemination techniques or the risks caused by the use of biological agents in bioterrorism . To simulate dispersal, attachment or the penetration depth in human or animal lungs, simulants must have particle sizes, specific weight and surface properties, similar to the simulated biological agent. The typical size of simulants (1–5 μm) enables it to enter buildings with closed windows and doors and penetrate deep into
775-523: The greatest threat to the US. Criteria for being a Category "A" agent include high rates of morbidity and mortality, ease of dissemination and communicability, ability to cause a public panic, and special action required by public health officials to respond. Category A agents include anthrax , botulism , plague , smallpox , and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Simulants are organisms or substances which mimic physical or biological properties of real biological agents, without being pathogenic. They are used to study
806-467: The lungs. This bears a significant health risk, even if the biological agent is normally not pathogenic. While the history of biological weapons use goes back more than six centuries to the siege of Caffa in 1346, international restrictions on biological weapons began only with the 1925 Geneva Protocol , which prohibits the use but not the possession or development of chemical and biological weapons in international armed conflicts. Upon ratification of
837-489: The secret agent genre Secret Agent (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Agent . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Agent&oldid=1254351144 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
868-489: The secret agent genre Secret Agent (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Agent . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Agent&oldid=1254351144 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
899-555: The thematic relation of a cause or initiator to an event Agent noun , a word identifying an actor, derived from a word denoting an action Cleaning agent , a substance used to remove bad smells, clutter, dirt, dust, or stains on surfaces See also [ edit ] All pages with titles containing Agent All pages with titles beginning with Agent Agency (disambiguation) Agent 13 (disambiguation) Agent X (disambiguation) Bot (disambiguation) Get Smart , an American comedy TV series which parodies
930-407: The world. The former US biological warfare program (1943–1969) categorized its weaponized anti-personnel bio-agents as either "lethal agents" ( Bacillus anthracis , Francisella tularensis , Botulinum toxin ) or "incapacitating agents" ( Brucella suis , Coxiella burnetii , Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus , staphylococcal enterotoxin B ). Since 1997, United States law has declared
961-512: Was the first multilateral disarmament treaty to ban the production of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. As of March 2021, 183 states have become party to the treaty . The treaty is considered to have established a strong global norm against biological weapons, which is reflected in the treaty's preamble, stating that the use of biological weapons would be "repugnant to the conscience of mankind". However, its effectiveness has been limited due to insufficient institutional support and