Hawley R J, Eitzen E M
Chief, Safety and Radiation Protection, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Maryland, 21702-5011, USA.
Annu Rev Microbiol. 2001;55:235-53. doi: 10.1146/annurev.micro.55.1.235.
Biological weapons are not new. Biological agents have been used as instruments of warfare and terror for thousands of years to produce fear and harm in humans, animals, and plants. Because they are invisible, silent, odorless, and tasteless, biological agents may be used as an ultimate weapon-easy to disperse and inexpensive to produce. Individuals in a laboratory or research environment can be protected against potentially hazardous biological agents by using engineering controls, good laboratory and microbiological techniques, personal protective equipment, decontamination procedures, and common sense. In the field or during a response to an incident, only personal protective measures, equipment, and decontamination procedures may be available. In either scenario, an immediate evaluation of the situation is foremost, applying risk management procedures to control the risks affecting health, safety, and the environment. The microbiologist and biological safety professional can provide a practical assessment of the biological weapons incident to responsible officials in order to help address microbiological and safety issues, minimize fear and concerns of those responding to the incident, and help manage individuals potentially exposed to a threat agent.
生物武器并非新生事物。数千年来，生物制剂一直被用作战争和恐怖的工具，对人类、动物和植物造成恐惧与伤害。由于生物制剂无形、无声、无味且无嗅，它们可能被用作终极武器——易于散播且生产成本低廉。在实验室或研究环境中，个人可以通过采用工程控制措施、良好的实验室和微生物技术、个人防护装备、去污程序以及常识来防范潜在的有害生物制剂。在野外或应对突发事件期间，可能仅能采取个人防护措施、装备和去污程序。在任何一种情况下，首要的都是对形势进行即时评估，运用风险管理程序来控制影响健康、安全和环境的风险。微生物学家和生物安全专业人员可以向负责官员提供对生物武器事件的实际评估，以帮助解决微生物学和安全问题，将应对事件人员的恐惧和担忧降至最低，并帮助管理可能接触到威胁制剂的人员。
