Curtin University Western Australia interest in Weaponisable Pathogens or Toxins

Useful list published in 2024

Searching my collection of documents for Shiga Toxin¹ I came across a useful list of Weaponisable Pathogens or Toxins in the Curtin University Safety Manual.²

In Australia there is a list of Microorganisms regarding which it is illegal to communicate (including publish) new information about (under the Defence Trade Controls Act), without the correct permits from Government Departments.

Here are some snippets

9 MICROORGANISMS THAT ARE SECURITY SENSITIVE BIOLOGICAL AGENTS (SSBA) OR ON THE DEFENCE AND STRATEGIC GOODS LIST (DSGL)

9.1 Principles about the control of bioweapons

Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBA) are weaponisable pathogens or toxins that could be used to make a bioweapon. The Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBA) Regulatory Scheme limits the opportunities for acts of bioterrorism or biocrime to occur using harmful biological agents. Curtin is not registered to work with SSBAs, and it is, therefore illegal for any of our people to store or work with SSBAs.

The Defence and Strategic Goods List (DSGL) includes a list of microorganisms that are illegal to transport internationally (under the Customs Act), and illegal to communicate (including publish) new information about (under the Defence Trade Controls Act), without the correct permits from Government Departments.

If you are planning to conduct research involving any of the following toxins, or pathogenic microorganisms, or nucleic acid sequences encoding the toxins or associated with the pathogenicity of the organisms, then you must contact your Biosafety Partner immediately, to begin the process of seeking the required approvals.

9.2 List of Weaponisable Pathogens or Toxins

Toxins:

Abrin, Aflatoxins, Botulinum toxins, Cholera toxin, Clostridium perfringens alpha/beta 1/beta 2/epsilon/iota toxins, Conotoxin, Diacetoxyscirpenol toxin, HT‑2 toxin, Microcystin (Cyanoginosin), Modeccin, Ricin, Saxitoxin, Shiga toxin, Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins or hemolysin alpha toxin or toxic shock syndrome toxin (formerly known as Staphylococcus enterotoxin F), T‑2 toxin, Tetrodotoxin, Verotoxin and shiga‑like ribosome inactivating proteins, Viscum Album Lectin 1 (Viscumin), Volkensin.

Human pathogenic viruses:

Andes virus, Chapare virus, Chikungunya virus, Choclo virus, Congo‑Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus, Dobrava‑Belgrade virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Ebolavirus (all members of the Ebolavirus genus), Guanarito virus, Hantaan virus, Hendra virus (Equine morbillivirus), highly pathogenic influenza virus infecting humans, reconstructed 1918 influenza virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Junin virus, Kyasanur Forest disease virus, Laguna Negra virus, Lassa fever virus, Louping ill virus, Lujo virus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, Machupo virus, Marburgvirus (all members of the Marburgvirus genus), Middle East respiratory syndrome‑related coronavirus (MERS‑CoV), Monkeypox virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, Nipah virus, Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus, Oropouche virus, Powassan virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Rocio virus, Sabia virus, Seoul virus, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-related coronavirus), Sin Nombre virus, St Louis encephalitis virus, Suid herpesvirus 1 (Pseudorabies virus; Aujeszky’s disease), Tick‑borne encephalitis virus (Far Eastern subtype), Variola virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Western equine encephalitis virus, Yellow fever virus.

Human pathogenic bacteria:

Bacillus anthracis, Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis, Burkholderia mallei (Pseudomonas mallei), Burkholderia pseudomallei (Pseudomonas pseudomallei), Chlamydophila psittaci (formerly known as Chlamydia psittaci), Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium argentinense (formerly known as Clostridium botulinum Type G) botulinum neurotoxin producing strains, Clostridium baratii botulinum neurotoxin producing strains, Clostridium butyricum botulinum neurotoxin producing strains, Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin producing types2, Coxiella burnetii, Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC, enterohaemorrhagic E. coli EHEC or verocytotoxin producing E. coli VTEC) of serogroups O26/O45/O103/O104/O111/O121/O145/O157 and other shiga toxin producing serogroups, Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia prowazekii, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholera, Yersinia pestis.

The list goes on to include Human pathogenic fungi, Animal pathogenic viruses, Animal pathogenic mycoplasmas, Plant pathogenic viruses, Plant pathogenic bacteria, Plant pathogenic fungi.

Thought you might like to know.

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2. Curtin University Biosafety Manual Version 2.0 2024.