CHEMICAL CORPS BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES , UNCLASSIFIED I ' Copr3 \% / O Scc^Ies 1 Ju Ly 1933
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ke^ *3 lo " ity Information (J?I CLASSIFIED SEVENTH A N N U A L J& PORT UNCLASS,F,ED CHEMICAL CORPS BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES , UNCLASSIFIED i ' Copr3 \% / O SCc^ies 1 Ju ly 1933 Information jjffl4b-eo7 2^ T d £ 4 4 (SV Security Information REPORT SERIES NO. 7 1 July 1953 .iiS a - SEVENTH ANNUM. REPCRT o f the CHEMICAL CORPS BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES (F is c a l Year 1953) This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States within the mMn-ing of the Espionage Act, 50 U.S.C., 31 and 32 as amended. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthQrized person is prohibited by law. This document, or any portion thereof, may not be reproduced without' specific authorization of the Director, Cml C Biological Laboratories. document contains ./ printed pages* CHEMICAL CORPS BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES Camp Detrick, Frederick, Maryland p Security Information CONTENTS H . TECHNICAL STATUS................................................ 2 A. Antipersonnel Agents 1. Bacillus anthracis ................................. 4 2. Bacterium tu 1 a r e n a e ...................... 7 3. Pasteurella pestis ................................. K> 4. Brucella s u is ............................................ 12 5. Brucella melitensis ..................................14 6. C cod.el] a bu rn etii......................... 16 7. Virus of Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis...................... 19 8. Psittacosis v ir u s ..................................... 21 9• Botulinum tc o d L n .................................... 24 10. Shellfish poisons ................. 27 U . Screening o f Agents and • Combinations of Agents ....... 29 B. Antianimal Agents 1. G e n e ra l.................................................... 32 2. Offensive . ................................................ 32 3. D e f e n s i v e ................................. 32 C. Ahticrop Agents t . .................................... 37 1. Rusts of Cereal Crops..................................39 2 . Helminthosporium oryzae . .......................41 3 • Piricularia oryzae ................................43 4. White Tip Nematode of Rice .......................43 5. Phytopfathora infestana . .....................44 6. Plant Virus Diseases .................................. 45 7. Chemical Anticrop A g e n t s .......................... 45 D. Detection 1. P ro te c tio n .....................................................47 2. Vulnerability..................................... * ] 4g 3 . Decontamination......................................... 49 4. Physical Protective Devices...................... 50 5. S a f e t y ......................................... ! . ! ! 51 E. Piasemi nation - 1. Bombi Biological, 4-lb., 1014......... 53 2. Bombj Biological, £-lb«, E61R4 ..... 53 3. Bomb', Biological, 2-o z . , E93 Type .... 56 4* Boobj B iological, l4 - l b . , E 99.................... 56 5# Bomb, B iological, l£ - lb « , EL03 ..... 57 6. Bomb, Biological, Spherical^ l£ -lb.,E96E1 58 7. Bomb, Biological, Spherical, l£ -lb., E94 Type ......; ................................. 59 8. Bomb, Biological, 2-lb., E97 ....... 59 9* Clnater, Biological Bomb, 750-lbE123. 60 10. Cluster, Biological Bonds, 750-lb., EL24. 60 11. Bonb> Biological, 750-lb., S86KL .................... 61 12. Boob, Biological, 60-lb., 5 7 7 ........................ 61 13. Bomb; Biological, Spherical, 10-oz., E95 . 62 14. Mine, Biological, ZB-14-B .................................63 15. Mine, Uarine, Biological, 300-lb., E4 . 64 F. Supporting Research ............................................... 73 1. Development and Testing o f P ilo t Plant 2. Drying ................................................................... 76 3* Arthropod Dissemination of BW Agents . 77 4. Uicrometeorological Research .................. 60 5. Summary of Field T ria ls .............................. 61 6. Physical and Biophysical Studies .... 62 7. Studies Basic to Munitions Development. 83 TTT. Administration 1. Organization ................... ......... 84a 2. Status of C o n s t r u c t io n ..................................84a 3. Budgetary C o n s id e r a t io n s .................................90 4. Personnel Review. ..............................................114 5. Research Conferences................................... .121 6. Liaison A c t i v i t i e s ..........................................122 The Seventh Annual Report o f the Chemical Corps Biological Laboratories was written primarily for the purpose of presenting the status of various end-items under development at this installation* The reviews in this report-are arranged according to major field: agents for man, animals, and- crops; protection; and dissemination. In addition, a brief discussion is presented of some of the more important areas of sup porting research. The report also contains a conden sed review of the administrative activities during the fiscal year, such as organizational changes, fis cal matters, construction, and personnel. Among the major accomplishments during FT 1953 has been the adoption as standard-type of two anticrop- agents, butyl 2,4-dichlor.ophencocyacetate (LNA) and 2,4, 5-triehlorophenoxyac etate (LNB), and one munition for dissemination of wheat rust spores carried on feathers (the 1CL15 bomb). Design c r it e r ia and guidance have been furnished the USAF in the development of an anticrop bomb bay spray tank. Assistance was also furnished in testing and evaluating its performance. Several other items under development are approaching the stage where consideration soon w i ll be given to their adoption as- standard—types. These- include: (l ) Bacillus anthracis. ( 2) Caxiella burnetii. (3) a toxoid for Clostridium botulinum. type A, (4) a new vaccine for rinderpest, (5) stemrust of rye, ( 6) an ampoule containing ethyl ene oxide, (7) a BW detection kit, ( 8) the E6l bomb, (9 ) the E86 bomb, (10) the E99 bembj (11) the £4 marine mine, (12) the XB14B submarine mine, and (13) the E77 bomb. LEROT Direc Security Information 2 Security Information * SECT aw H - TECHNICAL STATUS A . ANTIPERSONNEL AGENTS TABIZ I . DEVELOPMENTAL STATUS OF BW ANTIPERSONNEL AGENTS Screening Laboratory Phase Pilot Plant Phase Standard Types Malleomyces mallei Pasteurella pestis Bacillus anthracis Brucella suis (AB1) Malleomyces pseudomallei Psittacosis virus ( Bacterium tularense ) * * Coxiella burnetii * Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacterium tularense Venezuelan equine enc ephalomyelitis Corynebacterium diphtherias virus Enteric pathogens Brucella melitensls Rickettsia prowazekl Botulinum toxin, type A Rabies virus Poliomyelitis virus Smallpox virus Coccidioides ianitis Histoplasma capsulaturn Nocardia asteroides * Adoption under review by the Chemical Corps Technical Committee **In transition from laboratory to Pilot Plant u Security Information 1. BACILU3S~ANTHRACLS (M) a. HISTORICAL Extensive laboratory research and pilot plant development were carried on during lor Id Tar II, which led to the design and construction of a large- scale production plant for this agent at Vigo, Indiana. This plant had been test-run with a simulant, Bacillus globigii (BG), and was preparing for pro duction of Bacillus anthracis when the war terminated. During the postwar period, practically all development effort on the offensive aspects of this agent ceased, and the small e ffo rt that was expended was prim arily for the development o f an effective vaccine fo r use in man. This low degree of effort on N was in accord with program guidance, e.g., N was seventh in order in the p rio rity l i s t fo r development of antipersonnel agents prepared by the Joint Chiefs of S ta ff (September 1951), »nd major emphasis was di rected to the first five items. There has been a recent renewal of interest in N fo r a number of reasons including the revision in service emphasis from debilitating to lethal antipersonnel agents and a reappraisal of the ET po tentialities of N because of (1) successful trials at sea in OPERATION HAR NESS, (2) demonstration of the narked‘influence of particle size on the number of spores required to infect, and ( 3) observation that antibiotic therapy following aerosol exposure to N was effective only as long as tr^A> rnent continued, i.e ., death was delayed but not prevented. Since April 1^3 the development of a liq u id suspension of N has been proceeding under an overriding priority by direction of the Chief Chemical Officer, in order tha the development testing of a 750-lb. cluster of E6l bombs filled with this agent may be completed by 1 March 1951; and a service-tested agent-munition combination be available by 1 July 195U. b. LABORATORY DEVELOPMENT During Tar Id Tar II several media were developed. The first which received extensive study was based primarily on corn steep liquor. This was found to have several deficiencies, among them* ( 1 ) the commercially available corn steep liquor was quite variable in composition, ( 2) toxic materials were present which required removal, and ( 3 ) spores of reduced virulence were produced. Research led to the formulation of a medium of known composition for N which in turn led to the development of practical media for large-scale production based upon pepticase (a tryptic digest of casein) or other peptones combined with cerelose, yeast products, thiamin, and s a lt s . As an outgrowth o f postwar development o f p ractical media for Brucella suis, Brucella melitensis, and Pasteurella pestls, an acid partial hydrolysate of casein is now recommended instead