ANTHRAX 04 OCT 90

File: 970101_sep96_decls30_0003.txt
Page: 0003
Total Pages: 7

Subject: ANTHRAX  04 OCT 90                                              

Unit: VAR. BUMED  

Parent Organization: BUMED       

Box  ID: BX303902

Folder Title: NERVE AGENTS - A BRIEF REFERENCE                                                                

Document Number:          3

Folder Seq  #:         13



                                     UNCLASSIFIED



                 Though there is no documented use of biological weapons in

            the annals of modern warfare, there have been historical

            precedents of their application and recent intelligence reports

            raise suspicions that research and development of such weapons

            have progressed beyond conceptual stages. An explosion in 1979

            at a biowarfare facility in Soviet Russia released a cloud

            presumed to be anthrax spores. an estimated 1000 persons were

            accidentally killed and provides a gruesome reminder of the

            existence of such weapons and their potential. That the

            technology for the tactical use of biologic weapons may be in the

            hands of our current adversaries is a real possibility. Medical

            officers may be called upon to recognize when an attack with

            biological agents has occurred, to identify the specific agent

            used, to assist in the development of a medical defense, and to

            manage casualties resulting from biological warfare.


                 Clues that an attack employing biological agents has

            occurred may include a large number of casualties presenting over

            a relatively short period of time and suggesting a massive

            point-source out break, a high relative attack rate with record

            fatality rates, diseases presenting atypically with respiratory

            symptoms and signs indicating that infection was acquired via

            aerosol, localized geographic distribution, low attack rates in

            personnel in fixed, ventilated structures, increased numbers of

            dead animals of all species, and the occurrence of disease not

            conforming to common epidemiologic patterns.


                 Agents which are effective biologic agents generally have

nvironments,

            and possess high virulence and communicability. The large

            numbers of organisms used in biologic weapons often shorten

                                       IIN("L AP%P%I]PlFn

Document 7 f:/Week-44/BX303902/NERVE AGENTS - A BRIEF REFERENCE/anthrax 04 oct 90:12249609070331
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-44
Box ID = BX303902
Unit = VAR. BUMED
Parent Organization = BUMED
Folder Title = NERVE AGENTS - A BRIEF REFERENCE
Folder Seq # = 13
Subject = ANTHRAX 04 OCT 90
Document Seq # = 3
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 24-DEC-1996