USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN THE MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BW THREATS

File: 120396_sep96_decls88_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 3

Subject: USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN THE MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BW THREATS    

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box ID: BX003203

Folder Title: USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN THE MEDICAL DEFENSE                                                       

Document Number:          1

Folder SEQ  #:         19




                                                  UNCLASSIFIED
                               DEPARTmr:    HE ARMY
                               OFFICE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL
                                   5109 LEESBURG PIKE
              Rmy To            FALLS CHURCH, VA 22041-3258
              ATTENTION OF

           BGPS-Psp
                                                         31 December iggo

           MEMORANDUM FOR ARCENT Surgeon, COL Tsoulos
           SUBJECT: U80 Of Antibiotics in the Medical Defense Against BW
           Threats


           3.- This memorandum Summarizes the Medical rationale for
           administering antibiotics to military Personnel exposed to
           inhalation anthrax (used as Bw weapon.)
           2. Although prior immunization with anthrax vaccine offers the
           best protection against an aerosol exposure, not all soldiers
           will have an opportunity to receive vaccine. In unvaccinated
           troops exposed to anthrax, survival can be improved by taking
           antibiotics shortly after aerosol exposure. This is based on
           the following facts.
              a. The anthrax organism is sensitive, in vitro, to several
           commonly used antibiotics.
              b. Antibiotics have successfully been used to treat
           clinical cases of human anthrax.
              C. Most importantly published reports, as well as recent
           research conducted at the U.S. Army Research Institute of
           Infectious Disease, have shown that antibiotics given to
           non-human primates shortly after exposure to a lethal challenge
           of aerosol anthrax# greatly improved survival.
                  (1) Three antibiotics were studied, penicillin,
           doxycycline and ciprofloxicin. Each was given to 10 animals
           for 30 days and then discontinued. A fourth group, was given
           both an antibiotic and started on anthrax vaccine. That group
ceived
           Post-exposure vaccine alone and had a high mortality rate,
           similar to untreated controls.
                 (2) All three of the antibiotics studied showed
           efficacy in prolonging survival. However. fN-"@
           oorbabi litv film*
           a n
              63.s also Columbia ussav- --us pnotosensitivity reactions seen
           with doxycycline may be problematic in a desert environment.
           Isolates of anthrax have been uniformly sensitive to
           ciprofloxicin. Also because ciprofloxicin is new and because
           of its mechanism of action-mb


        DECLASSIFIED                          NCLASSIFIED
       ON: 07 NOV 96
        BY: SEC ARMY (DAMH                     12958

Document 3 f:/Week-36/BX003203/USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN THE MEDICAL DEFENSE/use of antibiotics in the medical defense agains:11259610133928
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003203
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN THE MEDICAL DEFENSE
Folder Seq # = 19
Subject = USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN THE MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINS
Document Seq # = 1
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 = 25-NOV-1996