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examinations of suspected anthrax, plague, and tularemia
victims should be performed with strict mask, gown, and glove
precautions because of the large numbers of organisms present
in body fluids.

Prophylaxis and Therapy: All medical prophylactic
modalities described should be viewed only as secondary (i.e.,
backup), and are not to be relied upon as primary protective
measures. Agent exposures near the source of dissemination
will be high, and likely to overwhelm any medical protective
measure. The precise efficacy of available medical ~
countermeasures has, of course, never been evaluated in actual
field circumstances, but is largely inferred from laboratory
studies on nonhuman primates. While these extrapolations may
be inexact, they strongly support the efficacy of vaccines and
drugs at some agent dose.

Outlined in Section II is an assessment of our current
capability to respond to several of the biological agents. A
common format is used to enable rapid consolidation of
capabilities by response area (e.g., specific laboratory
diagnosis, therapy, prophylaxis). Section III provides a
review of clinical features distinguishing chemical
neurointoxications from botulism.

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