BIOLOGICAL WARFARS LAB CONFIRMATION CAPABILITY IN THE AOR

File: 121096_sep96_decls15_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 2

Subject: BIOLOGICAL WARFARS LAB CONFIRMATION CAPABILITY IN THE AOR       

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003201

Folder Title: CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS                                                  

Document Number:          2

Folder Seq  #:         17




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                                    UNCLASSIFIED        31 December 1990


         MEMORANDUM FOR DASO-HCD (MAJ Eng)

         SUBZECT: Biological Warfare (SW) Laboratory Confirmation
         Capability in the AOR for Operation Desert Shisld @


         1.        Concur that          @As described in your 30 December
         1990 memo is not recommended.
         2.        With regard to           specifically the details in the
         Enclosuref the following comments  are provided

             as       Definitive isolation  and detection of anthrax and
         its antibiotic sensitivity can be  established in accordance with
         our Previous memo. It will be necessary to have capability for
         fluorescsnco microscopy and guinea pig inoculation areas for
         absolute confirmation.

             b.       Identification of plagus aloe requires specific
         fluorescence microscopy end guinea pig inoculations, as wall as
         standard microbiological culturing tschniques,
             c.       Identification of tularemia can be done with
         standard culturing and animal inoculations.

             d.       Identification of the organism
         perfringa@ by culture techniques does not seem to address the
         threat issue. Since this organism is an,aneerobe, it is highly
         unlikely that the organism is the potential SW agent4 Rather, it
         is the toxin. Tinfortunately, we have no detection methods (ZLISA
         or other) that are specific for the toxin.

             a.       identification of botulinum toxin by mouse
         inoculation would be very difficult to establish in the AOR,
         Sources of 18-20 gram $wine mice must be insured (nonmitivity of
         mice decreases with increased weight, thereby Precluding ordering
         lot* 69 mice in advance). In addition, control samples-of toxin
nfirm botulinum toxin.
         Nautralization of a test samples with specific antioncum is the
         Absolute confirmatory evidence of the preaSnOO Of the toxin, Bear
         in mind that this test requires a minimum of four days.
         3.        Guinea pig inoculations, as described above, should be
         conducted in separate areas for each of the potential threatas
         As a minimum, the mouse inoculations for botulinum toxin must be
         a seyerete lab from the infectious agents. Further, immunized
         personnel are rsquired for the botulinum iAJGCtionN,
                                   UNCLASSIFIED
      DECLASSIFIED
     ON: 03 DEC 96
     BY: SEC ARMY (DAMH) UNDER SEC 3.4 EO 12§&lk'@@ on

Document 2 f:/Week-36/BX003201/CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS/biological warfars lab confirmation capability i:12069615355216
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003201
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Folder Seq # = 17
Subject = BIOLOGICAL WARFARS LAB CONFIRMATION CAPABILITY I
Document Seq # = 2
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 = 06-DEC-1996