DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

File: 123096_sep96_decls1_0088.txt
Page: 0088
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











                            and/or other intervention to prevent the full effect of the disease on
                            the individual casualty or potential casualty and to provide the combat
                            commander information on the effectiveness of his troops during the
                            following several weeks.

                            c. Provide information directly to the field commander and his medical
                            advisor - that is, a forward-located capability.

                            d.   Provide that information in the shortest time possible - that is,
                            in minutes to hours.

                            e. Provide an agent-specific response to guide operational and medical
                            decisions and actions.

                            f. Be simple enough to be effectively used by nor=edically trained
                            individuals under battlefield conditions.

                            i. Ca rugged--encug'tt to aulvive Storage and use under battlefield
                            conditions.

                            h. Be self-contained with simply packaged reagents and/or power
                            requirements to minimize the field logistical burden.

                    613.    A number of laboratory methods currently available for possible
                    adaptation to field identification of potential BW agents are as follows:

                            a. Antibody detection is an approach using specific antigens. This
                            method utilizes a well-established concept and technology, already in
                            wide use, and can give rapid results. The disadvantages of antibody
                            detection include possible cross-reactions which may blur specificity;
                            this may be minimized through use of monoclonal antibodies in the
odies to certain infections may
                            appear only late in the infectious process. Thus, they may not appear
                            early in physiological fluids readily available in the forward area.

                            h. Antigen detection, using specific antibody, is a newer but
                            increasingly familiar technology. it is highly specific as well as
                            rapid. However, as with antibody detection, the range of possible
                            specimen sources may be narrowt and required reagents may be unstable
                            under field conditions. In addition, antigen may be present in readily
                            obtainable sample specimens only in very minute amounts, which my
                            affect the sensitivity of a field identification system.

                            c. Genome detection, using DNA probes, is new technology employing
                            stable reagents, is highly specific and capable of giving rapid
                            response.   its possible field use is hampered by its technical
                            novelty. The military surgeont and consequently the- commander my be
                            reluctant to accept information from a system using this emerging
                            te@ology. As genome detection becomes more widely used in routine
                            medical diagnosis, this disadvantage will be minimized. As with
                            antigen detection, gename detection sensitivity may be inadequate for
                            early detection of infection due to relative dilution of genomic
                            material in the specimen tested. In addition there may be industrial


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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