The Public health response to biological and chemical weapons: WHO guidance has been revised and published in 2004. This second edition of WHO´s 1970 publication Health aspects of biological and chemical weapons includes information designed to guide preparedness for and response to the deliberate use of biological and chemical agents that affect health.

- Cover and disclaimer (pdf, 611k)

- Contents (pdf, 18k)

- Foreword (pdf - 18k)

- Acknowledgements - (pdf - 18k)

- Executive Summary (pdf 12k)

- Abbreviations and acronyms (pdf -15k)

- Contributors (pdf - 20k)


- 1. Introduction (pdf, 32k)
1.1 Developments since the first edition
1.2 Origin and purpose of the present report
1.3 Some working definitions
1.4 Structure


- 2. Assessing the threat to public health (pdf, 54k)
2.1 Background
2.2 Technological developments
2.3 Advancing science
2.4 Preliminary threat assessment


- 3. Biological and chemical agents (pdf, 83k)
3.1 The representative group of agents
3.2 Dissemination of biological and chemical agents
3.3 Routes of exposure
3.4 Characteristics of biological agents
3.5 Characteristics of chemical agents
3.6 Consequences of using biological or chemical weapons
3.7 Assessment and conclusions


- 4. Public health preparedness and response (pdf, 149k)
4.1 Background
4.2 Preparedness
4.3 Response
Appendix 4.1: Principles of risk analysis
Appendix 4.2: The sarin incidents in Japan
Appendix 4.3: The deliberate release of anthrax spores through the United States postal system


- 5. Legal aspects (pdf, 56k)
5.1 The 1925 Geneva Protocol
5.2 The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention
5.3 The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention
5.4 Conclusions
Appendix 5.1: BWC implementing legislation
Appendix 5.2: CWC implementing legislation


- 6. International sources of assistance (pdf, 49k)
6.1 United Nations
6.2 Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
6.3 Biological Weapons Convention
6.4 World Health Organization
6.5 Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
6.6 World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
6.7 Nongovernmental organizations
6.8 Contact information


- Annex 1. Chemical agents (pdf, 192k)
1. Introduction
2. Lethal chemicals
3. Disabling chemicals


- Annex 2. Toxins (pdf, 51k)
1. Introduction
2. Bacterial toxins


- Annex 3. Biological agents (pdf, 135k)
1. Introduction
2. Bacteria
3. Fungi
4. Viruses


- Annex 4. Principles of protection (pdf, 55k)
1. Introduction
2. Risk-reduction measures
3. Individual protection
4. Collective protection
5. An example of the application of risk-management principles: the problem of potentially contaminated mail
Appendix a4.1: problems related to protection


- Annex 5. Precautions against the sabotage of drinking-water, food, and other products (pdf, 74k)
1. Introduction
2. Prevention
3. Detection
4. Response
5. Drinking-water supplies
6. Food


- Annex 6. Information resources (pdf, 61k)
1. Major texts and general sources
2. Task-specific sources
3. Resource-hosting web sites


- Annex 7. Affiliation of who states to the international treaties on biological chemical weapons (pdf, 29k)