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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












                                      at mutipheri c PO II tiL ants and some nt trogen ox ides which are at
                                      the origin of "Oxidizing smog."    Nitrogen peroxide, 'or
                                      instance. Often found near many factories associated With coal
                                      and gas burning and in car exhaust f@,nes, dissociates into
                                      nitrogen dioxide and atomic oxygen.    Part. of the laELer reacts
                                      wilh the nitrogen dioxide to creale peroxide again, so torming
                                      a self-drive system. The other oxygen atoms react with
                                      hydrocarbons Lo crease various compounds including free
                                      organic radicals. 7h:s@ free radicals. through chain
                                      reactions, lead to the tcrmallon of organic by-products,
                                      especially nonvolatile substances which condense in a typical
                                      MISL and in toxic substarces for microorganisms.     However,
                                      reactions of this kind take effect only in well-defined
                                      conditions such as light wind and significant P01!uLion (e.g.
                                      in the vicinity of industrial cities).

                                      (d) Temperature. :r. '.!%- range oi normal ambient
                                      LemperaLureS, the direct effect of survival on biological
                                      aerosols is not very important.    As a rule. the inaCLivaLirn
                                      rate of aerosolized agents increases as temperature goes up.
                                      The indirect effects, however, mediated by changes in relative
                                      humidity may be of mucn greater importance.

     OTHER DISSEMINATION ROUTES:

                    303.    a. Attempts might be made LO spread Eypicai vector-borne diseases such
                            as malaria, dengue fever, Lick-borne encephalomyelicis or even plague
                            by releasing arthropod vectors (mosquitoes, ticks, fleas) which may be
                            produced in large number and @n'eCEed by allowing them to feed on
                            infected animals, infected blood reservoirs or artificially-produced
                            sources of the organism. Althc@gh this method is technically feasible,
                            the effort and difficulties invilved probably would be cut of
                            proportion to Lhe results.

                            b. On the other hand it might @e easy to contaminate drinking water
                            wilh cholera vibriOS, typhoid bacilli, viruses of poliomyelitis or
                            infectious hepatitis or even W.Lh certain bacterial toxins or
                            mycotoxins.

                            c. Similarly contaminated food supplies could be used as means to
                            disseminate infectious agents or toxins. This method of attack and
                            that cited in the previous paragraph would be most suitable for
                            sabotage activities and might be used against limited targets such as
                            the water supply of a large city, ground water extraction wells, milk
                            pl&nLS, food supplies of an army unit or an isolated military base.


                    SECONDARY DISSEMINATION:

                    304.    a. The possibility of long term survival of infectious agents, Lhe
                            preservation Of toxin activity during extended periods and the
                            protecting influence of dust particles on which microorganisms adsorb
ve been demonstrated in many observations.


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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