July 26, 2001

NDSU Veterinarian to Visit Former Soviet Biowarfare Laboratory

A North Dakota State University veterinarian will be among a team of medical professionals to visit a former Soviet Union biological weapons laboratory this fall.

Charles Stoltenow of the NDSU Extension Service will visit the State Research Center for Applied Microbiology in Obolensk, Russia. He will arrive in Moscow on Sept. 30 and leave on Oct. 14. The goal of the trip is to establish scientific exchanges among scientists studying the diagnosis, epidemiology and therapy of pathogens.

"A key to me being included in this exchange is our experience with anthrax at NDSU," Stoltenow says. "Anthrax is endemic to our region and we deal with periodic outbreaks as a matter of course. At this center in Russia, they have experience dealing with anthrax as a biological warfare agent.

The exchange is coordinated and funded by the National Research Council with support from the U.S. Department of Defense which is interested in encouraging the redirection of former Soviet defense scientists to civilian pursuits.

"These scientists are as knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with various deadly pathogens as any in the world. I think there is a great deal that we could learn from each other," Stoltenow says. Participants in this exchange will be encouraged to develop long-term collaborative research.

Stoltenow’s experience with anthrax has placed him in demand among military and civilian agencies concerned about the threat of biological warfare. He has consulted with the U.S. Army on conducting soil sampling to detect anthrax. He has also had discussions with U.S. Navy specialists on how to handle soldiers that have been exposed to anthrax or died from the disease. Stoltenow has also worked with local hospitals and agencies to discuss how best to deal with disease outbreaks that might occur naturally or as a result of bioterrorism.

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Source: Charlie Stoltenow, (701) 231-7522, cstolten@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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