MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL

File: 970101_sep96_decls37_0018.txt
Page: 0018
Total Pages: 23

Subject: MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL                     

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003201

Folder Title: MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL                                                     

Document Number:       1001

Folder Seq  #:         31




                                       UNCLASSIFIED









         THERAPY. untreated bubonic plague has a case-fatality rate
         commonly reported as around 50%; untreated primary septicemic
         and pneumonic plague are invariably fatal. Streptomycin,
         tetracyclines, and chloramphenical are highly effective if
         begun early (with 8-24 hours in pneumonic plague). Intravenous
         doxycycline (200 mg initially, followed by 100 mg q 12 hours),
         intramuscular streptomycin (1 gm q 12 hours), or intravenous
         chloramphenical (1 gm q 6 hours) for 10-14 days are recognized
         as effective against naturally occurring strains. Prophyla-is
         for contacts of pneumonic cases with doxycycline (100 mg po
         bid) is necessary to prevent secondary transmission.


         PROPHYLAXIS. A licensed, formalin-killed Y pestis vaccine is
         marketed in the US, and has been utilized by US military
         personnel for many years in highly plague-endemic areas.
         Reactogenicity is moderately high, and immunity acquired after
         a 3-dose primary series (0, 1, and 4-7 months) is sustained
         only with boosters every 1-2 years. Live-attenuated vaccines
         produced in other countries are generally regarded as highly
         reactogenic, with a potential for reversion.



                                    TU      IA



         CLINICAL SYNDROME

           Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella
         tularensis, a small, non spore-forming gram negative bacillus.
         Humans acquire the disease under natural conditions through
         inoculation of skin or mucous membranes with blood or tissue
         fluids of infected animals, or bites of infected deerflies,
         mosquitoes, or ticks. Rarely, ingestion of contaminated food
         or water or inhalation of contaminated dusts may produce
         clinical disease. A biological warfare attack with F
se pneumonic
         and typhoidal tularemia, syndromes e-pected to have
         case-fatality rates much higher than 5-10% seen when disease is
         acquired naturally.

           Clinical Features. A variety of clinical forms of tularemia
         are seen, depending upon the route of inoculation and virulence
         of the strain. Since the infectious dose is low (1-10



                                        15



                                      UNCLASSIFIED

Document 23 f:/Week-36/BX003201/MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL/medical defense against biological material:12249609313138
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003201
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL
Folder Seq # = 31
Subject = MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL
Document Seq # = 1001
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