MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL

File: 123096_sep96_decls27_0016.txt
Page: 0016
Total Pages: 34

Subject: MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL             

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003203

Folder Title: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 3106                                                         

Document Number:          1

Folder Seq  #:         28




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           or intoxication by ingestion. Assurance that food and water
           supplies are free from contamination should be provided by
           appropriate preventive-medicine authorities in the event of
           an attack.

           . Dermal: Intact skin provides an excellent barrier for
           many but not all biological agents. Mucous membranes and
           abraded, or otherwise damaged, integument can, however,
           allow for passage of some bacteria and toxins, and should be
           protected in the event of an attack.

           Physical Protection: The most effective and singularly most
        important prophylaxis in defense against biological warfare
        agents is physical protection. Preventing exposure of the
        respiratory tract and mucous membranes (to include
        conjunctivae) to infectious and/or toxic aerosols through use
        of a full-face respirator will prevent exposure, and should,
        theoretically, obviate the need for additional measures.
        Chemical protective masks effectively filter biological hazards.

           Decontamination. Protection of Health Care Personnel: Any
        dermal exposure should be treated by soap and water
        decontamination. This can follow any needed use of chemical
        decontaminants but should be prompt. Secondary contamination
        from clothing, etc. of exposed soldiers to medical care
        personnel may be important, particularly from those individuals
        exposed near the dissemination source where large particle
        deposition may occur. Since it will be difficult to
        distinguish those soldiers exposed near the source from those
        contaminated some distance away, proper physical protection of
        health care providers or other persons handling exposed
        personnel should be maintained until decontamination is
        complete. This applies to chemical exposure as well. Clinical
y samples for toxin-exposed subjects can be dealt with
        routinely. Patients showing signs of pneumonic plaque
        generally should be considered hazardous, as some will disperse
        plague bacilli by aerosol. Anthrax could present a risk from
        open lesions or blood which could result in cutaneous anthrax.
        Anthrax does not pose a threat of aerosol dissemination from
        blood or during autopsy procedures, but sporulation of bacilli
        exposed to air theoretically could occur, with subsequent
        inhalation. On the other hand, plague and tularemia bacilli
        may be dangerous, since, under some circumstances, they are
        known to cause aerosol infections. Therefore, postmortem



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Document 34 f:/Week-36/BX003203/FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 3106/medical countermeasures against biological mater:12179609282028
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003203
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 3106
Folder Seq # = 28
Subject = MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATER
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