DETECTION OF MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

File: 123096_sep96_decls1_0108.txt
Page: 0108
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












                                                NATO UNCLASSIFIED


                                                    CHAPTER 12


                                                    CONCLUSIONS

               1201. Advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering have increased the
               likelihood of biological warfare operacions being used. The principles of
               medical defence against biological attack must be developed and applied to
               procect against the use of this weapon system.

               1202. In many instances, organisms considered important from the biological
               operations standpoint do not cause significant morbidity or mortality in NATO
               countries, but may be of major importance in other parts of the world.
               Knowledge of the particular organism, or the disease it produces, may be quice
               limited. Thus the resuics of investigative programs conducted for defensive
               biological operations purposes may be directly applicable to the alleviation
               cf z@ff--Z': -I g 4 @-, -@"- -,-, -, @L 'Ile @ccid .

               1203. The medical care of casualties resulting from a biological attack is
               basically a problem in management of individuals with infectious disease or
               exposure co toxins. The fact that the source of the exposure may have been
               artificially created by deliberate dissemination of a microbial agent will not
               change the basic principles of treatment.      Every physician has some knowledge
               of infectious disease and common coxicotugy and toxinology (the study of
               plant, animal and microbial toxins).      Ic is, however, unlikely that he would
               be familiar with the disease produced by the particular organism or toxin used
               in the attack.    Rapid identification of the agent is therefore required to
symptoms, treatment and prognosis
               to be provided to those caring for casualties, to military commanders, and to
               the population at risk, both military and civilian.

               1204.   Efficient protective equipment is already available to military
               personnel.   However, ics use impedes performance, so an early warning system
               for biological agent actack is needed to avoid unnecessary wearing of
               protective clothing.    Research continues, but as yet no such system is
               available.

               1205 .  Most civilian populations have no specialized protective equipment and,
               because of the unusual respiratory route of exposure and high doses of
               biological agent, Public Health measures may not be completely effective,
               although they will have a role in preventing secondary spread.        The best
               defence aid available to civilians will be education and informacion both in
               planning during peacetime and following any biological agent attack.

               12 06 . A sound system of epidemiological and demographical statistics
               established in peacetime which functions efficiently during war will be needed
               to achieve early suspicion or recognition of a biological agent attack.
               Planning must include the establishment of operating procedures to cope with a
               biological agent attack affecting both military and civilian populations.

               12 07 . There is no question that the care of casualties in a biological
               operations situation would be extremely difficult and many problems would
               arise.   Regardless of the advanced planning which may have been accomplished,


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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