The ‘B’ in CBRNe stands for biological weapons. Biological weapons have an organic origin, such as bacteria and viruses, including toxins produced by organisms that can be used to inflict disease among people, animals and in agriculture.
History of biological warfare
Biological warfare dates back to antiquity, but it occurs throughout history. The deliberate poisoning of food and water with infectious material, the use of micro-organisms, toxins or animals, living or dead, in a weapon system and the use of biologically inoculated fabrics are among the most common uses of biological agents.
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Biological weapons
Biological weapons are weapons based on infection caused by live microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, and the term is also usually used to include weapons based on toxins – toxic chemicals produced naturally by organisms that can be used as a crude or purified preparation to cause disease among people or animals. Many microorganisms are harmless, and those that cause disease are known as pathogens. We use the term ‘biological agent’ to mean those pathogens which in principle can be used as biological weapons.
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Non-proliferation of biological weapons
The Geneva Protocol – the treaty banning the use of chemical and biological weapons – was signed in 1925 and enforced in 1928. Although it prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons, it failed to include the production, storage and transfer of these weapons. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) was the first collaborative disarmament treaty prohibiting the production of an entire class of weapons. The BWC was ratified by 163 states that agreed to ban the development, production and stockpiling of biological and toxin-based weapons.