July 2003

Below is a listing of bioterrorism-related events this month, part of an ongoing bioterrorism chronology that begins with Sep 11, 2001. To see events from other months, go to the Bioterrorism Watch index page.

July 31

Maryland pond turns up no clues to anthrax attacker
The Frederick, Md., pond drained by the FBI in June in hopes of finding evidence in the search for the fall 2001 anthrax attacker, has turned up nothing of import. The pond became an area of interest after a plastic box was found there that resembled a glove box, which can be used to handle dangerous chemicals. The FBI spent $250,000 and 3 weeks to drain the pond.

July 30

UK stocks up on smallpox vaccine
The United Kingdom government announced that it has ordered $73.1 million worth of smallpox vaccine from the joint venture Aventis Pasteur MSD. The action "ensures that the UK stockpile of vaccine is substantially increased and means tat the UK will not longer need to rely on vaccine produced in the 1970s," says Britain's Department of Health.

July 29

Longer antibiotic regimens for anthrax
People exposed to high levels of anthrax may need more than currently recommended 60 days of antibiotic treatment, according to research from Johns Hopkins. The authors of the study, published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say that larger doses take longer to clear from the lungs and may require up to 4 months of treatment.

July 28

Relatively low investment could save huge amounts in preventing a seaport bioterrorist attack, says report
Abt Associates, a consulting firm for the US Department of Transportation, issues a report saying a major bioterrorist attack on a US seaport could cost the nation from hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars. By spending $5 billion to $10 billion a year on biodefense measures such as devices to detect airborne pathogens, the report continues, the damage could be limited to a "sustainable" level. (See CIDRAP News story.)

July 25

Mandate for new anthrax vaccine shorts funding for research on other diseases
The National Institutes of Health has been ordered to by the White House mandate to come up with a new anthrax vaccine even without additional funding, says National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci. The White House proposed $250 million but Congress approved only $43. The gap will be have to be made up by reductions in federal grants to NIH for research on other diseases, including AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, Lyme disease, and cholera. A coalition of medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, favor continued use of the anthrax vaccine currently available, which has a number of reported adverse effects.

Lawmakers seek money for preparedness in Southwest border region
A bipartisan group of lawmakers from states bordering Mexico introduce a bill that would give $235 million to the area for bioterrorism preparedness efforts, reports the Tucson Citizen. Recipients of the funds wold be local and state governments, colleges and universities, tribal governments, nonprofit health organizations, and the US-Mexico Border Health Commission. Also funded would be an alert network for healthcare providers.

July 24

Senate questions smallpox vaccination program progress
During a hearing on bioterrorism readiness efforts, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee questions public health officials about why the federal smallpox vaccination program has had so few takers (about 38,000 civilian pubic health workers have been vaccinated). One criticism lodged in the questioning was the delay in issuing a table of vaccine-related injuries that would quaify an individual for compensation. Julie Gerberding, director of CDC, said the table was close to finished. She also said that the misperception that smallpox is no longer a serious threat since conclusion of the Iraq war has slowed the rate of vaccinations.

Money for DHS passes Senate
The US Senate approves its first bill financing the Homeland Security Department by a vote of 93-1. The final number was $28.5 billion, after Republicans rejected Democratic amendments that would have raised the amount.

Pentagon stages training attack
Reporters view close-up a training exercise of a large-scale chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear attack in the Pentagon parking lot. Called Gallant Fox, the exercise was testing the Pentagon Force Protection Agency emergency response units in a real-world setting after holding table-top exercises earlier. The agent supposedly released in the exercise was a chemical nerve gas; many of the response maneuvers necessary would be similar no matter what the agent dispersed in a real attack. Although the exercise "went well," according to John Jester, chief of the Defense Protective Service, several things needed improvement, particularly communication.

July 23

USSouth Korea join forces on preparedness
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and South Korean Health and Welfare Minister Sim Hwa-joong sign an agreement to establish a joint panel to address biological and chemical terrorism risks. The agreement also covers other joint public health initiatives.

Large initiatives aim at US food security
HHS Secretary Tommy Thomspon announces that $5 million has been allocated to research and develop technologies and strategies to thwart attacks on the US food supply. This coincides with a new FDA report on improved food security, including a 5-fold increase in the number of examinations of imported foods. (See CIDRAP News story.)

July 22

Disposable hospital prototype to be built in Pennsylvania
A federally funded sample portable hospital that could be used in a bioterroism attack is scheduled for construction shortly in Pennsylvania, according to a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Called the Emergency Isolation Treatment Shelter, the 6,000-square-foot, 500-bed facilities could be transported and built quickly if necessary. They are made from 50-in.-square polymer composite panels. Fast and safe disposal of the facility would be possible as well in case cleanliness were an issue. Shelters would cost about $525,000, and they could be used in natural disasters or outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as SARS) as well.

Customs agency seeks pre-arrival info on cargo
Tough new regulations are proposed by the US Customs and Border Protection agency to guard against the smuggling of weapons or operatives into the country in cargo. The proposed system would require all shippers to transmit information about goods and recipients electronically ahead of arrival to allow customs to determine the level of inspection needed. At present, this information is available only when, not before, shipments arrive.

Rural water utilities to assess vulnerability to terrorism
Nearly $2 million is awarded to the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), announces G. Tracy Mehan III, assistant administrator for water at the EPA. The money will be used by NRWA to help the approximately 4.400 small water utilities (those serving populations of 3,300 to 10,000) in the country assess their vulnerabilities to terrorist attack. Assessments will be due in mid-2004, in accordance with the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.

PO anthrax-detection system opened for view
Reporters were allowed to tour the Baltimore postal facility where an anthrax-detection system has been in testing for more than a year. The system, called the Biohazard Detection System, is now being tested in 14 other cities (see July 14 item). The postal service plans to install the system in all 283 mail-processing plants across the country next year under a new $175 million contract with Northrop Grumman. At present the only organism the system can detect is anthrax.

July 19

Australia stockpiles smallpox vaccine
More than 50,000 doses of smallpox vaccine have been imported and stockpiled by the Australian government for use in a potential bioterrorist attack. No decision has been made by the coutry's health department on whether to vaccinate first-responders, and there are no plans to vaccinate the general population.

July 17

Washington man convicted in ricin case
A computer engineer in Spokane, Washington, is convicted of making and possessing several grams of ricin, enough to kill up to 900 people, depending on dispersal method. Ricin, made from castor beans, is one of the world's deadliest poisons. Web logs showed that the man had done extensive Internet research on poisons. There was no direct proof in the case of a target for use of the ricin.

Weakened smallpox vaccines found to be effective, safe
Weakened smallpox vaccines, called modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) and NYVAC, are as effective as Dryvac, the vaccine now used, report Igor Belyakov of the National Cancer Institute and colleagues in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, done in mice, also showed that vaccine administration through the nose may be possible. As the possibility of widespread vaccination for smallpox increases as concern about bioterrorism mount, safety issues become crucial. The weakened vaccines would be safer for immunocompromised and elderly persons, and intranasal administration would avoid the relatively difficult multiple-jab vaccination given currently and the oozing lesion that can spread vaccinia.

July 16

Project Bioshield passes House vote
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approves Project Bioshield, the program proposed by President Bush 6 months ago to stimulate private-sector research and innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases most likely to be used by bioterrorists. The bill would provide up to $5.6 billion over the next 10 years to assure a market for products developed. It would also authorize the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to use vaccines and treatments for the diseases not yet approved by the FDA in emergency situations. [See CIDRAP News story.]

July 15

Food scientists engaged by FDA to prevent/reduce possibility of food-related terrorism
The FDA has hired the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) to examine ways of protecting the United States' food supply from deliberate contamination by terrorists. Their research will evaluate chemical treatments, temperature control, and technological means that could be used by food processors can use to prevent or reduce the risks. Results of the review, planned for completion by June 2004, will be kept confidential.

Interpol official calls for laws on pathogen handling
Ronald K Noble, secretary of Interpol, an organization coordinating information-sharing across police forces in 181 countries, tells an American Bar Association committee that laws should be passed governing the use of pathogens to reduce the chances of their falling into the hands of terrorists. Furthermore, universitys and other research institutions should do background searches on and should know individuals working with potentially dangerous substances. Finally, mishandling of pathogens should result in both civil and criminal penalities, according to Noble.

July 14

Cold-War sirens may be revived
Outdoor warning sirens installed during the Cold War to warn people in the event of a nuclear attack but then abandoned by the federal government may be useful as one warning system for modern-day biological, chemical, or nuclear attack. The systems have been used for alerting citizens to tornadoes and other storms in some cities since the need for their intended original use waned. One reason for their resurrection, which is being evaluated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is that they provide a way to alert persons who are not listening to radio or television.

PO anthrax testing begins
A 4-week test of a new anthrax detection system at 14 postal facilities across the country begins. The test was originally planned to commence on May 30 but was delayed while authorities developed guidelines for responding to results. The system, which has been in use in Baltimore for 4 weeks, is called the Biohazard Detection System. It uses rapid DNA testing to detect the presence of pathogens and gives results immediately. The sites chosen for testing cover a variety of climates and environmental conditions; rural areas with naturally occurring anthrax are included. Expansion of the detection system to more facilities is expected next year.

Self-triage through questionnaire?
A self-administered electronic questionnaire may be the tool of the future for assessing one's risk of potential exposure to biological or chemical agents. Researchers from Georgetown University and Harvard are developing the tool as a means to avoid unnecessary panic and crowding of emergency facilities in the event of an epidemic or terror attack, reports the Washington Post. A series of questions, administered by computer or phone, would walk a person through symptoms and then provide reasonable options from, for example, "Stay home in voluntary quarantine," to "Go to a designated site for follow-up care," to "Just relax." It is hoped that such a system of triage would ease burden of "worried well" patients overloading healthcare facilities if an event were to occur. Critics say the system might give poor advice in some cases and that people experiencing fear would not be appeased by a computer.

High-tech network may provide real-time early warning system
Government researchers, coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security, are working on a nationwide network of sensors designed to provide a real-time early warning system for biological, chemical, and nuclear events, according to a story in EETimes, a trade publication for engineers and technical managers. Details are not likely to be made public until at least fall, but work has been in progress for more than a year. The developers hope to use microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology. Duane Lindner, director of chem/bio programs at Sandia National Labs is quoted as saying the goal is to deploy a network of low-cost but highly accurate sensors "that in a couple of minutes could tell you if an agents is present, in what concentration and something about the agent."

July 11

Glowing cells might indicate bioterrorism agents
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report in the new issue of Science that they have developed cells that can detect a number of deadly pathogens, including anthrax, smallpox, and plague. The sensors, called Canary (acronym for cellular analysis and notification of antigen risks and yields) have as their main component genetically engineered mouse white blood cells. A gene is added to the white blood cells that produces antibodies that hook to a given bacterium or virus. When the cells come into contact with the pathogen, they light up or glow after a cascade of events that in effect involves signal amplification. The authors claim the Canary sensors might also be useful for medical and agricultural purposes, detecting, for example, Chlamydia in urine and E coli in foods.

July 10

Nations join to stop international trafficking of WMD
The Proliferation Security Initiative, an Australia-led group of 11 countries, agree to increase efforts to find and intercept ships and planes involved in the illegal trade of weapons of mass destruction. Specifically, they will share intelligence and begin military training exercises. The meeting was held in Brisbane; the next meeting will be held in September.

July 9

Baltimore holds mock biological attack exercise
An 8 a.m. phone call from Baltimore's health commissioner to the mayor informing him of a possible case of botulism began that city's largest-ever bioterror exercise. During the day over 20 cases at seven hospitals were reported. Also diagnosed during the day was a mock case of smallpox. A staged vaccination center is scheduled to begin a drill of mass vaccinations in the morning. The person posing as the smallpox victim said from his isolation room, "Hopefully, we'll never see something like this happen, but we used to say that about planes crashing into buildings," reports the Baltimore Sun.

Experts accuse Bush administration of distorting prewar intelligence
The Bush administration distorted US prewar intelligence about Iraq to rationalize going to war, according to a panel of intelligence and nonproliferation experts at a Washington news conference. As of March, just before the US-led coalition invaded Iraq, Baghdad posed "no imminent threat" to the United States or its neighbors, says Greg Thielmann, a former official in the US State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. For example, Iraq's biological and chemical initiatives were aimed at rebuilding production capabilities rather than maintaining stockpiles of actual weapons, he says. Thielmann accuses administration officials of failing "to speak honestly" about the US prewar intelligence on Iraq and its WMD and ballistic missile programs. He also charges the administration with operating under a "faith-based" intelligence policyfitting available intelligence to preexisting conclusions. Gregory Treverton, a former vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council, also says the Bush administration turned "intelligence to evidence" to make the best "bumper-sticker" case for war. The Bush administration continues to defend their decision to go to war.

Meat inspection at US bordersis less more?
The US Agriculture Department's answer to Congress's call for increased protection against terrorist attacks on the food supply has in actuality resulted in the testing of less meat and poultry at the borders than before. >From October to the end of December 2002, 6% of incoming meat was tested, while 17% was tested the previous quarter. "Yes, the amount of meat inspected is less, but the meat we inspect is inspected more thoroughly," Karen Stuck, administrative assistant for international affairs at the department's food safety inspection service, tells the New York Times. Congress passed legislation requiring registration of foreign importers and prior notification of shipments, but Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., founding member of the House food safety caucus, says lawmakers did not expect fewer meat inspections. "I'm speechless," DeLauro says. "With Sept. 11, we have an added responsibility to do morenot lessinspections and to do them all thoroughly." Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the security department, says reduced inspections do not conflict with his department's goals. An Associated Press story says that Elsa Murano, head of the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, claims the new system replaced random tests with targeted tests. She also said that foreign meat plants exporting to this country undergo inspections by US officials and are held to standards equal to those in the United States.

July 8

DARPA doing studies that could help protect against terrorism, bioterrorism
Researchers continue to work feverishly to identify weaknesses in the US military and intelligence systems and develop defenses against them. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon's "technological engine," is studying everything from how insects run and jump, to how geckos climb walls and walk on ceilings, how flies avoid capture, and how an octopus hides. These studies are producing new approaches to locomotion and adaptive camouflage. For example, Rhex, a DARPA robot with legs, developed through research by Canadian and American technicians, can run over rough terrain and even swim. DARPA hopes these "New Age" technologies will eventually prevent terrorist attacks and make the battleground safer for US soldiers. A robot like Rhex, which can enter contaminated areas and alert its human counterparts to the presence of dangerous biological agents, could help prevent both military and civilian casualties.

July 7

Federal lab expansion project meets resistance
Residents living in areas where the federal government proposes to build new research laboratories criticize the plan for its unwarranted secrecy. The $2.5 billion proposal, part of the Public Health Security and Bioterorrism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, seeks to double the number of high-security biological laboratories (about 20 exist now), according to a United Press International report. The legislation makes disclosure of who has biological agents, what activity is being conducted at the laboratories, and other information about the work illegal; in addition, this information is exempted from the Freedom of Information Act. Critics also say oversight of the lab expansion project is poor. Supporters of the new laboratories say area residents' concerns are exaggerated.

July 5

Shortage of skilled personnel handicaps bioterrorism preparedness, report says
A bioterrorism attack would probably overwhelm federal agencies because of serious shortages in skilled medical and scientific personnel, says a new study by the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit civil service advocacy group. The study says the anthrax mailings in 2001 created confusion and burden among federal agencies that responded. It suggests that a larger attack involving infectious disease would probably overwhelm them. Though billions of dollars have been allocated to prepare first-responders and National Guard units for a bioterrorism event, "We have uncovered a serious under-investment in the human side of addressing the bioterrorism threat," Max Stier, president and chief executive of the partnership says. (See CIDRAP News story.)

July 3

Commissioned Corp restructuring planned
Plans are under way to restructure the 114-year-old Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service, according to government health officials. HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and Surgeon General Richard Carmona, commander of the corps, say they will increase the size of the 5,500-member corps and improve its flexibility to ensure that it can continue to cope with emergencies and help medically underserved communities. The corps manages disease outbreaks, offers medical support in wars, and provides medical services to areas with poor access. A significant change involves the creation of a new office to oversee corps personnel, who are scattered throughout HHS. The new plan calls for officers to report to a management team under the surgeon general, giving him greater day-to-day control of the corps. The HHS is committing $2 million toward the new plan this year and asking for an additional $5 million for fiscal 2004.

Blix to head international commission on WMD
Former Chief UN inspector Hans Blix accepts a position as head of an international commission on weapons of mass destruction, according to Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. Financed by Sweden, the commission will likely be based in Stockholm. "It is very gratifying that Blix has accepted the presidency," says Lindh. "He has unique experiences and knowledge. We must do everything to counter the threats of weapons of mass destruction." The commission will work to develop new ways of encouraging international cooperation for disarming weapons of mass destruction and preventing their proliferation. Work is expected to begin this fall, with the first recommendations issued in 2005.

Hatfill played active part in biodefense work even as he was investigated in anthrax attack
Former US Army biologist Steven Hatfill trained US intelligence agents and Special Forces searching for banned weapons in Iraq and also helped plan security for the US Embassy in Afghanistan, all while under surveillance by the FBI as "a person of interest" in the 2001 anthrax investigation, reports the Washington Post. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in the spring of 2002 recruited Hatfill through its training contractor, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC). SAIC, which Hatfill had worked for previously, had recently fired him because of concern over the FBI investigation. The company agreed to allow him to work in the training program as a volunteer. Among Hatfill's earlier work for SAIC was the development of a mobile germ plant, the New York Times reported yesterday. The plant was intended for defense training, not for production.

Prewar intelligence on Iraq WMD not exaggerated, says analyst
US intelligence analysts did not overstate their findings under pressure from Bush administration officials trying to bolster their case for war, according to Richard Kerr, head of the intelligence community's internal review of its prewar performance on Iraq. But current, reliable information on Iraq's weapons was sometimes lacking, notes Kerr, in an Associated Press story. A team consisting of Kerr and three other retired intelligence officers reviewed the CIA's and other agencies' performance and have submitted an initial report to CIA Director George Tenet. Kerr essentially says that the integrity of the intelligence process was maintained, and efforts to assess the accuracy of prewar predictions will have to wait until a more thorough search of Iraq is completed. Solid information was sometimes lacking, though what the intelligence agencies did learn seemed to confirm their conclusions that Iraq had active programs to make weapons of mass destruction, says Kerr.

July 2

New center for children's biopreparedness in Boston announced
Children's Hospital Boston launches the Center for Biopreparedness, aimed at protecting children in the event of a terrorist strike with unconventional weapons. Headed by Michael Shannon, MD, MPH, chief of emergency medicine at the hospital, the center will focus on the needs of children should they experience a biological, chemical, or radiological attack. When children are exposed to a contaminant, their reaction may be more severe due to less body surface area and to their more rapid breathing, according to Shannon. He urges all hospitals, schools, childcare facilities, and local officials to becomet involved. "As a nation we must be prepared to protect our kids, says Shannon. The center will develop a model for the management of a disaster affecting children and their caregivers.

July 1

Flu: next bioweapon?
Influenza could readily become the next weapon of mass destruction, say scientists from the University of Texas. "Taken together with the fact that influenza virus is readily accessible and may be causing more deaths than previously suspected, the possibility for genetic engineering and aerosol transmission suggests an enormous potential for bioterrorism, says the team of researchers writing in the July Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. The group sets out a list of demands for urgent action, including: the need for more immunization, increased security, stockpiled antiviral drugs, closer monitoring of outbreaks, and filters and sensors fitted into buildings.

British doctors demand better preparation for threat of bioterrorism
The British Medical Association, meeting for their annual conference, supports a demand to deal with serious public health threats, reports Independent News. Britain could not cope with the outbreak of a new disease or a bioterrorist attack, doctors cautioned at the meeting. Such an event could overwhelm the National Health Service and threaten a public-order catastrophe, they add. Meeting participants heard that when the first suspected case of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) arrived in Britain, there was no information on how to deal with it. The BMA's board of science is preparing a report on bioterrorism and dealing with outbreaks of disease to be published next year.

For other months' installments, go to the Bioterrorism Watch index page