Five Year Follow-up of Army Personnel Potentially Exposed to Chemical Warfare Agents

Abstract : This is an epidemiologic study of morbidity and mortality outcomes associated with potential exposure to low levels of chemical warfare agents at the Khamisiyah ammunition depot in southeastern Iraq. Health outcomes of troops putatively exposed during rocket demolition in 1991 will be compared to those of a similar group of unexposed military personnel for a minimum five-year follow-up period. Exposure levels will be estimated based on environmental and climatological modeling of the chemical footprint, in combination with troop location data during the time of the demolition. Specific objectives of the study are: (1) to compare morbidity and mortality outcome rates among Army personnel putatively exposed to chemical warfare agents and those not exposed using both self-reported health information and passive records-based methods; and (2) to compare temporal trends in health perception and health care use before and after notification of potential chemical warfare agent exposure among the putatively exposed and unexposed groups.