RESPONSE TO THE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE BW THREAT 20 AUG 90

File: 120396_sep96_decls54_0009.txt
Page: 0009
Total Pages: 16

Subject: RESPONSE TO THE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE BW THREAT 20 AUG 90          

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box ID: BX003201

Folder Title: OPERATION DESERT SHIELD RESPONSE TO THE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE BW THREAT                            

Document Number:          1

Folder SEQ  #:         45






          muscle weakness of the palate, tongue, larynx, respiratory muscles, and
          extremities. Deep tendon reflexes vary from intact to absent. No pathologic
          reflexes are present, and the sensory exam is normal.
               11 DIAGNOSIS
               Routine laboratory findings are of no value in diagnosis. The
          cerebrospinal fluid is normal.
               The occurrence of an epidemic with large numbers of afebrile patients
          with progressive ocular, pharyngeal, respiratory, and muscular weakness and
          paralysis establishes the diagnosis. Single cases may be confused with various
          neuromuscular disorders such as atypical Guillan-Barre syndrome, myasthenia
          gravis, or tick paralysis. Other considerations include poliomyelitis, but in
          these patients, fever is present, paralysis is often asymmetrical, and the
          cerebrospinal fluid is abnormal. In organophosphate nerve agent poisoning,
          pupils are iwotic and secretions are copious. In atropine poisoning, the pupils
          are dilated and mucous membranes are dry, but central nervous system
          excitation with hallucinations and delirium is present.
               III SPECIFIC LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS
               Detection of toxin in serum or gastric contents from cases of foodbome
          botulism is often feasible by mouse inoculation. In the case of inhalation
          botulism, toxin may well be cleared from the blood by the time symptoms are
          noted. Nevertheless, blood or serum should be obtained from representative
          cases for such attempts. Survivors probably will not develop an antibody
          response due to the small amount of toxin necessary to cause death.
               IV TIFIERAI?Y
               Respiratory failure secondary to paralysis of respiratory muscles is the
          most serious complication and, generally, the cause of death. Tracheostomy
                                                9    PmqAFT

Document 16 f:/Week-36/BX003201/OPERATION DESERT SHIELD RESPONSE TO THE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE BW THREAT/response to the biological warfare bw threat 20 :11229616342212
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003201
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = OPERATION DESERT SHIELD RESPONSE TO THE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE BW THREAT
Folder Seq # = 45
Subject = RESPONSE TO THE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE BW THREAT 20
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 = 22-NOV-1996