ANTHRAX 04 OCT 90

File: 970101_sep96_decls30_0005.txt
Page: 0005
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



            day incubation period the patient suffers from non-specific upper

            respiratory tract symptoms. After several days he develops

            st-idor, respiratory distress, and subcutaneous chest wall edema.

            At this point death occurs within 24 hours. In biowarfare this

            sequence of events is likely to be shortened considerably ley an

            unnaturally large number organisms. The characteristic chest

            radiograph shows a widened mediastinum often associated with

            pleural effusions (usually bloody) but no parenchymal infiltrate.

            Once recognized patients should be intubated. Although high

            doses of intravenous penicillin is the drug of choice for

            naturally-acquired pulmonary anthrax, in biowarfare ciprofloxacin

            1000 mg bid Is recommended as it is relatively easy to induce

            penicillin resistance in the laboratory. Asymptomatic

            individuals should be given 500 mg bid as prophylaxis as long as

            the threat persists. Because death will continue to occur

            despite appropriate treatment, ideally vaccination of all

            personnel at risk with at least two 0.5 nl injection of vaccine

            given 2 weeks apart should be administered. However current

            stocks of this vaccine are not known.



                 Botulism



                     Clostridium botulinum produces a neurotoxin which blocks

            neurotransmission by preventing the release of acetylcholine at

            choline--gic synapses. This toxir. can be delivered by aerosol.

            Symptoms and signs occur within 3-36 hours of exposure. Motor

            abnormalities are prominent and occur early with cronial and

            bulbar verues, (EOM paralysis, diplopia, ptosis, dysarthria,

            dysphonia, dysphagia) affected first followed by flaccid

 and respiratory muscles. Chol.energic

            effects include meioses, decreased salivation, and bladder and GI

            dysmotility. In the biowarfare setting it is necessary to

                                    UNCLASSIFIED

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