BioTerrorism       

What should you do if there is a Biological Threat or Attack?  The US Dept of Homeland Security advises.

President Bush announces Project BioShield, a plan to protect citizens with modern drugs and vaccines. 2/03

West Nile Virus

• 1,295 people have contracted the West Nile virus and 54 of those have died as of 9/13/02.  There has been much speculation whether the virus was planted here as a form of biological terrorism.
• West Nile first showed up in the US in 1999 in New York, killing seven people.

West Nile Virus  basics from the Center for Disease Control.

Anthrax - BioTerrorism in the Mail

• An enzyme, PlyG lysin, "isolated from a virus that attacks bacterial cells", can detect and kill the anthrax bacteria, and should work even if terrorists develop antibiotic-resistant strains.
• A Princeton, New Jersey mail collection box which tested positive for anthrax spores may have been the site where last fall's anthrax letters were mailed from.  The box, located on a street adjoining the campus of Princeton University, was the only one out of 300 tested that had positive results. 8/12/02
• A new, unnamed coating was discovered on the anthrax spores that were found in the mail in the fall of 2001. 4/10/02
• Postal workers reporting health problems after handling irradiated mail. 2/9/02
• 1st attempt to clean the Hart Senate Office Building of anthrax spores by fumigating with chlorine dioxide gas failed.  2nd attempt underway. 12/16/01
• An undiscovered Anthrax letter is still out there. 11/13/01
• The FBI released its Linguistic/Behavioral Analysis of the Anthrax Letters, which profiles the person responsible. 11/9/01
• Congressional Statement on Bioterrorism by the FBI
• Strategic Plan for Preparedness and Response prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• US Dept of Health & Human Services
• World Health Organization "Disease Outbreaks" - overview of worldwide disease outbreaks; their data is not a current as the CDC's
• The FBI warns not to open suspicious mail (links to a printable poster) if its unexpected or from someone you don't know, addressed to someone not at your address, if can't read return address, if has stains, is lumpy or misshapen, sealed with excessive amounts of tape, marked "Personal" or "Confidential", has excessive postage, doesn't have a return address, or if return address doesn't match the postmark.  The US Postal Service offers a bit of insite, also.
• Center for Civilian BioDefense Studies at John Hopkins University 
• If you receive suspicious mail:
  • Do not shake, bump, sniff or empty contents.  Do place envelope/package in plastic bag or other sealable container.
  • No container?  Cover with paper, clothing, trash can, etc.
  • If a powder spills out of the mail, do not try to clean it up, but carefully cover as mentioned above - don't create a breeze.
  • Leave room and close the door.  Warn others not to enter or touch the door (which you touched leaving the room).
  • Wash your hands with soap and water.
  • Report incident to police; if at work, also report to supervisor.
  • List all the people who were in the room with you at the time of possible exposure.  Give this list to public health authorities and to law enforcement officials.
  • If there was a powder, remove your clothes and place them in a sealed container to give to authorities - including shoes.  Immediately bathe with soap and water.
• If you are in an area where there is an immediate threat of public exposure, i.e due to aerosolization:
  • Turn off local fans and ventilation units.
  • Immediately leave the area.
  • Quarantine the area.
  • Again, try to put together a list of people you knew were in the area.  Provide this list to public health authorities and law enforcement officials.
• Anthrax:  What Every Clinician Should Know  (Originally Webcast live 10/18/01) - the first 6th of it is full of thank-yous, but after that it gets to the meat of the subject
• "How Inhalation Anthrax Kills" Animation
• "How Cutaneous Anthrax is Contracted" Animation
• Creating a Bio-Weapons Lab (video)

Anthrax basics from the Center for Disease Control.

The Anthrax letters sent to the politicians were a "copy cat" of those letters sent to the news media.

Anthrax Cases

• The numbers:
  • 18 infections, including 11 from inhalation and 7 skin-acquired.  There have been 5 deaths (inhalation).
• Oxford, CT
  • Anthrax found at mailing facility 12/3/01
  • 90 yr. old woman died from inhalation anthrax 11/21/01 - 5th death; her home, mail, mailbox, etc. all tested negative - no clues as to the source
• Fayetteville, NC
  • Positive test at a Studio Plus Hotel near Ft. Bragg
• Indianapolis, IN and Kansas City, MO
  • Both test positive at postal facilities  (10/31/01)
• Washington DC and the Capitol
  • As of 10/22/01, there have been at least 42 exposures.
  • 2 DC postal workers die of Pulmonary form (10/22/01)
• Nevada - A letter, postmarked in Malaysia and sent to the Microsoft office in Reno, tested positive for Anthrax. (10/13/01)  Employees tested negative. (10/15/01)
• New York City/New Jersey -   A letter sent to NBC, postmarked 9/18/01 in Trenton, NJ tested positive.
  • 61 yr. old woman, who worked at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, became 4th victim of Pulmonary form to die (10-31-01)  She worked in the stock room, and no traces were found there or at her home in New Jersey. 
  • At least 13 exposures as of 10/29/01
  • 6th case:  7 mo old child of ABC news employee (10/15/01)
  • 3-5 cases:  NYC police officer (in nose), and 2 lab techs (1 in nose, 1 on face) who detected the anthrax at the NBC office (10/14/01)
  • 2nd case:  2nd NBC employee shows symptoms of anthrax (10/13/01), including low-grade fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash
  • 1st case:  38 yr. old woman, employeed at NBC news headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Center after exhibiting symptoms on a papercut, tested positive for Cutaneous Anthrax (10/12/01)
• Florida - traces also found in Post Office that handled mail for the AM Building
  • 4th-8th cases:  5 more employees found to have been exposed (10/13/01)
  • 3rd case:  Third Anthrax victim is a 35 yr. old woman (in nose) and fellow employee diagnosed (10/8).  The bacteria has been found in 5 places in the building.
  • 2nd case:  73 yr. old co-worker diagnosed with Pulmonary Anthrax (in nose).  The bacteria was found in the mailroom where he worked, in the American Media Building in Boca Raton.  (10/7/01)  This man has now become ill from the bacteria. (10/15/01)
  • 1st case:  63 yr. old man, employed at Sun Times Tabloid, died (10/5).  The bacteria was also found on a computer keyboard in his office.  Fox News story on this case.  This man's wife, a real estate agent, had rented 2 apartments to 2 of the suspected hijackers in DelRay, FL.

   

Dengue Fever & CCHF

• Dengue Fever in Maui:  First outbreak in 50 years; by 10/9/01 there are 35 cases in Hawaii and spreading (reported as "not terrorist related"); 62 cases 10/24/01.   Another Fact Sheet on Dengue Fever shows a relationship with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.  Interesting.  Another "Hemorrhagic Fever" is going on in Pakistan.  Kind of strange that a US state would have this outbreak at this time.
• CCHF (Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever) outbreak in Pakistan

Dengue Fever information for Travelers.

Unknown Substances

• 3 small planes dropped a substance on boats in the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers near Cairo, IL and Crystal City, MO.  No suspicious material was found on the boats. (11/12/01)