MEETING ON BIO WARFARE LAB CAPABILITIES FOR THE AOR OPER DS

File: 123096_sep96_decls55_0002.txt
Page: 0002
Total Pages: 11

Subject: MEETING ON BIO WARFARE LAB CAPABILITIES FOR THE AOR OPER DS     

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003201

Folder Title: CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS                                                  

Document Number:         12

Folder Seq  #:         17






                                   UNCLASSIFIED-



         DASG-HCD-D
         SUBJECT: Minutes - Joint Working Group  Meeting on Biological
         Warfare Laboratory Capabilities for the Area of Responsibility
         (AOR) for Operation Desert Shield (U)


                 (2)      U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
         (USAMRDC) should designate an Army microbiologist who has
         experience in isolation and identification of anthrax and can
         perform antibiotic sensitivity testing. This individual should be
         POR qualified and be prepared to deploy to the 996th Lab VA on TDY
         status. Assemble two packages of required reagents and supplies
         required to perform stated tasks. one package will be immediately
         sent to the NFL and the other to the 996th Lab VA.

                 (3) @ U.S. Navy will be requesting one of their
         personnel currently at USAMRIID be trained on anthrax task
         performance in para 3d before deployment to the NFL.

                 (4) @ Reagents for identifying tularemia, plague, and
         clostridium perfringens is required for the NFL, the 996th Lab VA,
         and Naval Medical Research Unit 3 in Cairo. Dr. Johnson-Winegar
         will find out if USAMRIID has the reagents. If not, then they will
         need to make the reagents for the labs.

                 (5) @ NFL is already capable    of performing polymerase
         chain reaction (PCR) analysis. what is  needed to perform PCR for
         botiilinum toxin are the reagents from Porton, UK. Reliability and
         availability of the reagents will be investigated by Dr. Johnson-
         Winegar during her visit with them in two weeks. The reagents
         should be able to detect botulinum toxin A through F. PCR reagents
         for anthrax may be available from USAMRIID.

                 (6) @ Navy will get a back up set of PCR equipment and
         reagents to be positioned at NAMRU-3 in Cairo. The cost is
 be $200K. Navy will persuade SARDA to release $2M for
         the total BW program.

                 (7) @ USAMRDC should assemble all equipment and supplies
         required to perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for
         botulinum toxin and anthrax. Reagents for the botulinum toxin
         (A-F) test were provided to NFL as of 7 Jan 91. Reliability of
         these reagents and feasibility of obtaining additional botulinum
         reagents (A-F) will be investigated by Dr. Johnson-Winegar. PCR
         reagents for anthrax have been developed through a joint effort of
         USAMRIID, Naval Medical Research Institute, AND Naval Research
         Lab. The reliability of these reagents need to be evaluated to
         minimize false positives and negatives. The PCR package will be



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                                     UNCLASSIFIED
                                      SuLE-6 R ET

Document 11 f:/Week-36/BX003201/CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS/meeting on bio warfare lab capabilities for the :12179609285756
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003201
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = CONFIRMATION OF ATTACK WITH BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Folder Seq # = 17
Subject = MEETING ON BIO WARFARE LAB CAPABILITIES FOR THE
Document Seq # = 12
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