DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

File: 123096_sep96_decls1_0067.txt
Page: 0067
Total Pages: 109

Subject: DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS       

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003203

Folder Title: DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS                                       

Document Number:          1

Folder Seq  #:         21










                        probably would not survive in the WesEern European climate.                ConsequenLly, the
                        nalural infectious cycle could not easily be reproduced.

                        106.    Studies have revealed. however, that certain natural patterns in
                        host-parasite relations can be broken under artificial conditions, notably by
                        dissemination of infectious microorganisms by the use of aerosols.                   Hygienic
                        measures, based on the spreading p&Lterns of infectious diseases, however
                        effective they may be in a natural Out break of disease. alone would afford
                        little protection in a biological operation, when infective agents are
                        artificially disseminalec.        In reducing secondary effects of biological
                        operations, however, hygienic measures will SLill be of value.

                        107.    In recent scientific deveiopmenes a large number of disease causing
                        agents, mainly viruses, but including bacteria and protozoa, have been
                        identified. These discoveries sometimes involve the causative agents of
                        long-known diseases such as rubella. On other occasions however, "new"
                        diseases have been described, the agents of which could also be traced and
                        ;de.-.L:fied.   Th" we --rc raw ZC;@Z@.-.LLd           Ebala, Lrsa, :.at' ig, t]TL"-LAV,
                                                                                                      u
                        Hantaan-viruses, with Legionella pneumophila (infections), and with
                        cryptosporidium. Legionella bacteria, minute gram-negative rods, have been
                        shown to be the cause of Pontiac fever, as well as Elie cause of the mysterious
ia chat caused the death of a number of Legionnaires
                        attending a congress in Philadelphia in 1976. The organism was spread to the
                        conference rooms by the air-conditioning system.              It is a naturally occurring
                        organism, and has subsequencly been found world-wide.

                        108.    There are a number of diseases in which an intermediate host plays an
                        essential role in the natural infection cycle. Such an epidemiological model
                        would be hard to reproduce artificially as was previously noted. However, it
                        is possible to circumvent the intermediate vector when the agent is
                        disseminated by the airborne route. Such unnatural infections have been
                        observed in laboratory studies with Yellow Fever, Venezuelan equine
                        encephatomyelitis, smallpox, epidemic typhus, and many other viral and
                        ricketLSial diseases.

                        109.    "New" diseases (e.g. the South American haemorrhagic fevers and Lassa
                        fever) often come LO light as a result of exploration of areas where the
                        agents  are endemic in isolated communities .

                        110.    Advances in biotechnology have made possible the establishment of
                        facilities, where adequ&Le amounts of bacteria, viruses, and toxins could be
                        made for biological warfare. Insight into the genetic control of the
                        biological characteristics of microorganisms may contribute to the development
                        of more effective methods for the artificial induction of genetically defined
                        modifications in these characteristics. For instance it is possible to select
                        mutants or recombinants which &re extra ordinarily resistant to antimicrobial
                    and antiviral agents or to inactivating environmental factors such as
                        radiation or dessication. IL is possible that as a result'of genetic changes
                        in &nligenic structure or in p&Lterns of enzymatic activities, identification
                        by routine laboratory methods would be more difficult or that the protection
                        afforded by specific vaccines prepared from the parent strain would be less
                        effective. Much work is being done in the field of genetic engineering and in
                        the elucidation of transfer of resistance-factors through plasmids.


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Document 109 f:/Week-36/BX003203/DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS/detection of medical defense against biological :1217960927452
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003203
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Folder Seq # = 21
Subject = DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL
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 = 17-DEC-1996