ANTHRAX 04 OCT 90

File: 970101_sep96_decls30_0004.txt
Page: 0004
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


            incubation periods and enhance virulence, "telescoping"

            the natural history of disease caused a particular organism.

              Generally biologic agents lose their effectiveness directly

            proportional to light and temperature but inversely proportional

            to the humidity. Therefore biologic weapons most likely will be

            delivered at night, i.e. one hour prior to sunset to one hour

            after sunrise.


                 The same gear and decontamination procedures used in chemical

            warfare also provides the best protection against biologic

            agents.













                 Anthrax:


                     Bacillus anthrac it is a gram-positive, spow-orming rod
            occurring in cha4ns resembling "boxcars" which causes cutaneous,

            gastrointestinal, and pulmonary anthrax. Human anthrax is

            acquired from contact with infected animals or their by-products

            and is seen primarily in its cutaneous form. In this form it may

            infrequently disseminate but otherwise is not a cause of death.

            Pulmonary anthrax is rare but when it occurs has a case fatality

            ratio of 82%. 'Lhe spores may be aerosolized, are persistent, and

            have a short incubation period: therefore the organism is an

            ideal biologic agent. The spores are inhaled, then phagocy@.yzed

            by riacrophages. Mediastinal lymphademopathy results followed by

            toxin production. The toxin causes a necrotic edematous media-

            stinitis, thrombosis of the pulmonary capillaries, upper airway
            obstruction, and death due to respiratory failure. After a 't'-5

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