0 3 ▁decision ▁to ▁stop ▁searching ▁for ▁people ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁tests ▁was ▁prem ature . ▁The ▁G A O ▁report ▁also ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁Do D ▁made ▁no ▁effort ▁to ▁inform ▁civ ili ans ▁of ▁expos ure , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁V eter ans ▁Affairs ▁( VA ) ▁is ▁failing ▁to ▁use ▁available ▁resources ▁to ▁inform ▁veter ans ▁of ▁possible ▁expos ure ▁or ▁to ▁determine ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁dece ased . ▁After ▁the ▁Do D ▁halt ed ▁efforts ▁to ▁find ▁those ▁who ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁tests , ▁veter an ▁health ▁activ ists ▁and ▁others ▁identified ▁approximately ▁ 6 0 0 ▁additional ▁individuals ▁who ▁were ▁potentially ▁exposed ▁during ▁Project ▁ 1 1 2 . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁individuals ▁were ▁identified ▁after ▁the ▁G A O ▁review ed ▁records ▁stored ▁at ▁the ▁D ug way ▁Pro ving ▁Gr ound , ▁others ▁were ▁identified ▁by ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Medicine . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁identified ▁suffer ▁from ▁long ▁term ▁ill ness es ▁that ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁bi ological ▁or ▁chemical ▁testing . ▁ ▁Current ▁( post - 1 9 6 9 ) ▁bio - def ense ▁program ▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁U . S . ▁bio - we ap ons ▁ban ▁and ▁the ▁Bi ological ▁We ap ons ▁Convention ▁restricted ▁any ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁bi ological ▁war fare ▁to ▁def ensive ▁in ▁nature . ▁In ▁reality , ▁this ▁gives ▁B W C ▁member - states ▁wide ▁latitude ▁to ▁conduct ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁research ▁because