Plant-pathogenic bacteria as biological weapons - Real threats?
2008
Young, J.M. | Allen, C. | Coutinho, T. | Denny, T | Elphinstone, J. | Fegan, M. | Gillings, M. | Gottwald, T.R. | Graham, J.H. | Iacobellis, N.S. | Janse, J.D. | Jacques, Marie Agnes | Lopez, M.M. | Morris, Cindy E. | Parkinson, N. | Prior, Philippe | Pruvost, Olivier | Rodrigues Neto, J. | Scortichini, M. | Takikawa, Y. | Upper, C.D. | Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research [Lincoln] | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) ; University of Pretoria [South Africa] | Department of Plant Pathology ; Cornell University [New York] | Central Science Laboratory | School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences ; The University of Queensland (UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations]) | Macquarie University | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | University of Florida [Gainesville] (UF) | Università degli studi della Basilicata = University of Basilicata (UNIBAS) | Dutch General Inspection Service ; Partenaires INRAE | Unité de recherche Pathologie végétale et phytobactériologie ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) | Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias - Institut Valencià d'Investigacions Agraries - Valencian Institute for agricultural Research (IVIA) | Unité de Pathologie Végétale (PV) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) | Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad) | Université de La Réunion (UR) | Instituto Biologico ; Partenaires INRAE | Agricultural Research Council (CRA) | Shizuoka University = Shizuoka Daigaku (SU)
International audience
显示更多 [+] 显示较少 [-]英语. At present, much attention is being given to the potential of plant pathogens, including plant-pathogenic bacteria. as biological weapons/bioterror weapons. These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably and there is need for care in their application. It has been claimed that clandestine introduction of certain plant-pathogenic bacteria could cause such crop losses as to impact so significantly on a national economy and thus constitute a threat to national security. As a separate outcome, it is suggested that they could cause serious public alarm, perhaps constituting a source of terror. Legislation is now in place to regulate selected plant-pathogenic bacteria as potential weapons. However, we consider it highly doubtful that any plant-pathogenic bacterium has the requisite capabilities to justify such a classification. Even if they were so capable, the differentiation of pathogens into a special category with regulations that are even more restrictive than those currently applied in quarantine legislation of most juridictions offers no obvious benefit. Moreover, we believe that such regulations are disadvantageous insofar as they limit research on precisely those pathogens most in need of study. Whereas some human and animal pathogens may have potential as biological or bioterror weapons, we conclude that it is unlikely that any plant-pathogenic bacterium realistically falls into this category
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