MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL

File: 121096_sep96_decls28_0018.txt
Page: 0018
Total Pages: 23

Subject: MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL                     

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003202

Folder Title: DOCUMENT LISTING FOR PROJECT BADGER                                                             

Document Number:          3

Folder Seq  #:          1




                                        UNCLASSIFIED









          THERAPY. untreated bubonic plague has a case-fatality rate
          commonly reported as around 50%; untreated primary septicemic
          and pneumonic plague are invariably fatal. Streptomycin,
          tetracyclines, and chloramphenical are highly effective if
          begun early (with 8-24 hours in pneumonic plague). Intravenous
          doxycycline (200 mg initially, followed by 100 mg q 12 hours),
          intramuscular streptomycin (1 gm q 12 hours), or intravenous
          chloramphenical (i gm q 6 hours) for 10-14 days are recognized
          as effective against naturally occurring strains. Prophyla-is
          for contacts of pneumonic cases with doxycycline (100 mg po
          bid) is necessary to prevent secondary transmission.


          PROPHYLAXIS. A licensed, formalin-killed Y pestis vaccine is
          marketed in the US, and has been utilized by US military
          personnel for many years in highly plague-endemic areas.
          Reactogenicity is moderately high, and immunity acquired after
          a 3-dose primary series (0, 1, and 4-7 months) is sustained
          only with boosters every 1-2 years. Live-attenuated vaccines
          produced in other countries are generally regarded as highly
          reactogenic, with a potential for reversion.



                                     TULAREKIA



          CLINICAL SYNDROME

            Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella
          tularensis, a small, non spore-forming gram negative bacillus.
          Humans acquire the disease under natural conditions through
          inoculation of skin or mucous membranes with blood or tissue
          fluids of infected animals, or bites of infected deerflies,
          mosquitoes, or ticks. Rarely, ingestion of contaminated food
          or water or inhalation of contaminated dusts may produce
          clinical disease. A biological warfare attack with F
by aerosol would primarily cause pneumonic
          and typhoidal tularemia, syndromes expected to have
          case-fatality rates much higher than 5-10% seen when disease is
          acquired naturally.

            Clinical Features. A variety of clinical forms of tularemia
          are seen, depending upon the route of inoculation and virulence
          of the strain. Since the infectious dose is low (1-10


                                         15




                                        UNCLASSIFIED

Document 23 f:/Week-36/BX003202/DOCUMENT LISTING FOR PROJECT BADGER/medical defense against biological material:12069615355829
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003202
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = DOCUMENT LISTING FOR PROJECT BADGER
Folder Seq # = 1
Subject = MEDICAL DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL
Document Seq # = 3
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 = 06-DEC-1996