Neurotoxic Symptoms In Chemical Warfare Casualties At Seattle WTO Meeting

[Guest guest]

Neurotoxic Symptoms In Chemical Warfare Casualties At Seattle WTO Meeting

by Kirk , MD

kmurph-@... 10:04am Tue Dec 7 '99

Direct Action Network Medical Collective members provided first aid and

other care for thousands of

casualties of chemical warfare during the Seattle WTO protests. Collective

members identified a subset of casualties with symptoms consistent with

exposure to neurotoxins which disrupt acetylcholine. Irritant

agents do not explain the symptoms.

The Direct Action Network Medical Collective was organized to provide first

aid and other health services to activists and others (onlookers, media,

residents, and anyone else requesting assistance) in Seattle for the WTO

meeting last week. The Collective members provided care for literally

hundreds of chemical warfare casualties on both November 30 and December 1;

hundreds more have

requested information and treatment in subsequent days. As one may imagine,

Collective members have acquired extensive expertise in the recognition and

treatment of symptoms arising from exposure to pepper spray (OC) and " tear

gases " (CS and CN).

Individuals exposed to chemical weapons in the late afternoon and evening of

December 1st at two locations downtown blocks adjacent to Pike Place Market

and the Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill evinced and reported a pattern

of symptoms which is inconsistent with the pattern of symptoms which may be

ascribed to irritating agents. This " atypical " pattern of symptoms includes

the rapid onset of:

mydriasis (pupillary dilation) with resultant impairment of visual acuity;

tachycardia (rapid heart rate) with some palpitations;

new-onset hypertension (high blood pressure) in one individual;

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (persisting for days after exposure);

abrupt or immediate onset of menstruation (asynchronous with usual menstrual

cycle);

muscular fasciculation (twitches);

muscular dyscoordination;

lethargy, confusion, disorientation, diminished concentration, nocturnal

hallucinations.

Moreover, some casualties reported an abrupt experience of loss of muscular

tone and strength

that sometimes (but not always) immediately preceded a loss of

consciousness; one observer of these

affected individuals reported uncontrolled, spasmodic movements in those

affected.

Some individuals exposed in the Pike Place Market area reported that the

aforementioned symptoms came immediately after exposure to a non-irritating

agent which was did not cause pain, lacrimation, or burning on mucous

membranes.

At least one individual complaining of fasciculations and cognitive

impairment days after exposure reported resolution of both symptoms for a

duration of approximately five to six hours within twenty to thirty minutes

after treatment with 10 mg of the specific antidote dicyclomine (Bentyl) -

an anticholinergic

medication which crosses the blood-brain barrier and hence can relieve

central nervous symptoms of excessive cholinergic activity as well as

relieving peripheral symptoms of the same etiology.

The pattern of symptoms is not consistent with known mechanisms of action of

the irritant chemical weapons OC, CS, or CN. The pattern, however, is

consistent with disruption of neurotransmitter activity. Lamentably, the

single most compelling explanation for the observed findings is the

(deliberate or accidental) inclusion of " incapacitating agents " which

disrupt neuronal function

in the chemical munitions discharged by law enforcement agencies in Seattle

during the WTO protest.

While direct cholinergic effects or indirect (inhibition

of acetylcholinesterase) effects arising from synergistic

combinations (of OC, CS, and CN) cannot be ruled out at this

time, the experience and observations Medical Collective

members, together with the aforementioned information, appears

to most robustly support the hypothesis that the casualties

described above resulted from exposure to cholinesterase

inhibitors used as chemical weapons in crowd control.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on December 4

that the Seattle Police Department had to replenish

its chemical weapons stocks by going to outside

sources. Various individuals have reported being told

by individual law enforcement officers that chemical

weapons in addition to OC, CS, and CN were deployed

by various entities; these anecdotal accounts are not

yet confirmed.

Any information regarding the use of chemical

munitions in addition to OC, CS or CN, as well as

information regarding the discharge of chemical

weapons by agencies other than the Seattle Police

Department would be helpful.

Available Internet information from presumably

authoritative (eg, DOD) sources describes " nerve gases "

as lethal agents. While the casualties described

above - fortunately - have not included fatalities,

the apparent pattern of excessive cholinergic activity

and the fact that " incapacitating agents " is the term

of art for a subset of chemical weapons used in crowd

control suggests that the term " nerve gas " may be a

suboptimal descriptive term. " Incapacitating agents "

or " neurotoxic agents " may be more precise ways of

describing chemical munitions with the effects

described above.

If you were exposed to chemical weapons during the

WTO protests and have the pattern of " atypical "

symptoms discussed below, please make a written,

signed, and dated account of your exposure, including

details such as the (approximate) location in which

you were exposed and the date and part of the day

(morning, midday, afternoon, evening) of your

exposure, as well as the nature of your symptoms.

Please send such accounts to the email above and to

the ACLU unit investigating law enforcement actions

in Seattle during the WTO protests.

Collection of discharged chemical weapons munitions

is proceeding apace at this time. Collection of serum

samples from affected individuals will probably be

organized over the next 48 hours. Assay of garments

(and other materials) exposed to the chemical

warfare agents on individuals demonstrating the

aforementioned pattern of symptoms is also

contemplated. If you have canisters or other chemical

munitions containers discharged during the WTO

protest, please contact the above email address for

information about how to forward these containers for

chemical analysis

[NOTE: Canisters of " CS " or " CN " (tear gas) or " OC "

(Oleoresin Capsaiscum) are not needed - we know they

were used. The containers to be sent for chemical

analysis would only be those without the above

markings or those with markings consistent with the

use of other agents.]

Your comments are invited and desired. Obviously,

the escalation of chemical weapons used in " crowd

control " to include even non-lethal neurotoxins is an

exceedingly grave prospect: the qualitative leap from

irritant agents (OC, CS, CN) to agents which disrupt

neuronal function is truly an appalling prospect.

This communication is intended to ensure the fullest

possible discussion and consideration of the events

and mechanisms described above.

******************************

Think globally...

Eat locally!

Localtable.com

http://www.localtable.com

subscribe: ke-@...

******************************