Biological Warfare/edited by Digumarti Bhaskara Rao, Digumarti Pushpa Latha and Digumarthi Harshitha. New Delhi, Discovery, 2001, 413 p., $44. ISBN 81-7141-597-0.

Contents: Preface. 1. Progress in biology – prosperity or tragedy/R. Petrov. 2. Biological questions in the third millennium/P. Volpe. 3. Biology for peace/A. Falaschi. 4. Biological warfare convention (BWC)/M. Canepa and M. Martellini. 5. Chemical and biological weapons : if it’s so useful../Y. Shapir. 6. International criminalisation of biological weapons/M. Meselson. 7. The consequences of biological war: can we protect humans and animals by synthetic peptides and DNA vaccines?/Y. Becker. 8. Understanding peace in the context of science: a historical and ethical look at biological warfare/J. Levy. 9. Conversion of biological weapon research and development/M. Leitenberg. 10. Prevention of biological warfare: what can we learn from history?/E. Geissler. 11. Prevention of biological and chemical warfare: regional or zonal approaches/J. Prawitz. 12. The goal : prevention of the misuse of biological sciences, elimination of biological weapons and the science for peace oath/Y. Becker. 13. The role of microbiologists in the prevention of the use of biological weapons/R. Atlas. 14. The American society for microbiology : prevention of biological warfare/K. I. Berns. 15. Majnoon island experience: consequences of biological and chemical warfare/S. Adams. 16. Improving biological security : the process of strengthening the BTW convention/I. Hunger. 17. Reaching for biosecurity by countering a new danger to democratic order/R. Zilinskas. 18. Possible consequences of the misuse of biological sciences/G. Harigel. 19. Prevention of misuse of biological sciences/V. Volkov. 20. The state research center of virology and biotechnology VECTOR for the prevention of misuse of biological sciences/S. Netesov. 21. The role of the international centre for genetic engineering and biotechnology for the peaceful use of biological science/A. Falaschi. 22. Bioethics and the prevention of the misuse of biological sciences/A. Guruge. 23. Actual problems of bioethics/G. Gerin. 24. Global biomedical knowledge: misuse in the north, lack of access in the south/C. Pasternak. 25. The fragility of the humoral and cellular immune responses in microbial diseases/V. Colizzi. 26. The WHO military network for surveillance and control of emerging and other communicable diseases/R. D’Amelio. 27. Possible consequences of the misuse of biological sciences. 28. Universal declaration on the human genome and human rights.

"The population of the world of today is faced by a challenge that could threaten even its survival in the near future because of biological weapons and warfare. Biological weapons are not difficult to produce, relatively easy to hide, and, in the hands of unscrupulous desperate terrorists, could cause incredible damage to large populations anywhere in the world. The use of biological weapons in war and/or otherwise as a means of mass distruction may lead to man-made epidemics that will introduce bioengineered agents into the human populations, animals and plants which will have a devastating effect on living organisms and world economy. Confronted with this menace, the biological weapons convention has singled out biological weapons for categorical prohibition. To protect humans, animals and plants from microbial diseases, a revolutionary approach to develop effective vaccines against epidemic causing agents and certainly against biological weapon agents in needed.

"This book dealing with all aspects concerned to biological warfare and weapons will be of great use to politicians, administrators, scientists, educationists, social service activists and young citizens of the global village." (jacket) No.

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