March 2002

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.

March 29

Aventis to give smallpox vaccine supply to federal government
Aventis Pasteur announces that it will give its decades-old supply of smallpox vaccine, estimated at 75 million to 90 million doses, to the federal government. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson says HHS will acquire the vaccine inventory if it proves to be safe and effective. "If we determine that the Aventis vaccine remains effective, we could substantially boost our nation's smallpox vaccine stockpile at relatively little cost to taxpayers," he says. "The Aventis supply could provide an added safety net should we need to vaccinate against smallpox." The vaccine was produced by Aventis and has been stored in a secure location since 1972, when the United States ended routine vaccinations for smallpox. According to Thompson, initial tests on the effectiveness of the Aventis supply have been encouraging.

Four-member team to run CDC until new director is chosen
Late in the day, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson announces that a four-member management team will run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until a new director is chosen. Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, director since 1998, is leaving the CDC today for Emory University. David Fleming, MD, deputy director for science and public health, now becomes acting director. James Hughes, MD, and Julie Gerberding, MD, director and acting deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases, are named to direct bioterrorism-related programs. The fourth team member, Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, will serve as Thompson's personal representative at the CDC. Osterholm is a nationally known bioterrorism expert and epidemiologist from the University of Minnesota and director of the university's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, operator of this Web site. He has been an adviser to Thompson since the Sep 11 terror attacks. This team of skilled professionals will serve the CDC, the department and the nation well until a permanent director is selected, Thompson says.

March 28

Aventis has previously undisclosed supply of smallpox vaccine
The Washington Post reports that Aventis Pasteur has 70 million to 90 million "forgotten" doses of smallpox vaccine in its freezers, a disclosure that increases the known US inventory of the vaccine six-fold. The discovery buys time for the federal government and its pharmaceutical contractors to produce more smallpox vaccine. "It's a great insurance policy," says D.A. Henderson, director of the newly created federal Office of Health Preparedness. The liquid vaccine doses were produced by Aventis Pasteur of Lyon, France, which has its US operation in Swiftwater, Pa. The vaccine has remained in freezers for decades, sources say.

Study indicates diluted smallpox vaccine remains potent
A study published online by the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that the existing US supply of smallpox vaccine can be diluted five-fold or ten-fold without losing its effectiveness. The study signals that the stockpile of 15.4 million doses can be stretched to at least 77 million doses. "We now know that in the unlikely event of an intentional release of smallpox, our stockpile of smallpox vaccine can be expanded fivefold as we had planned," says HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson. In the study, 680 young adults were vaccinated with either the full-strength vaccine, a 1:5 dilution, or a 1:10 dilution. After one or two vaccinations, response rates ranged from 97% to 100% for the three groups and did not differ significantly. Side effects such as headache and muscle aches were common in all three groups and were mostly mild or moderate.

NIAID director calls for dialogue on mass smallpox vaccination
In an editorial accompanying the report on dilution of smallpox vaccine (see item above), Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calls for a public dialogue about the advisability of universal smallpox vaccination. Current federal plans call only for focused vaccination efforts in response to actual smallpox outbreaks. "Since sufficient stores of smallpox vaccine will soon become available, an open and public dialogue on the advantages and disadvantages of universal voluntary vaccination, as well as on the smallpox response plan of the CDC, should be initiated before any attack occurs," Fauci states. The editorial is published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Produce shippers worried about cost of food security measures
Recommended precautions against food-related bioterrorism are causing some members of the food industry to balk, according to a Los Angeles Times report. Fresh-produce shippers have lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to exclude them from its new guidelines urging tamper-resistant packaging and other security measures. The produce industry fears burdensome regulation if Congress adopts these guidelines as part of food security legislation. The lobbying reflects a behind-the-scenes battle over food security regulations that many in the industry believe are unnecessary, ineffective, and costly, ultimately driving up prices for consumers. "It's not because we don't care about food security," says Kathy Means, a vice president of the Produce Marketing Association. "Companies marketing fresh produce are acutely aware of the need to protect the food supply, and many have already taken appropriate measures."

March 27

Neighbors worried about plan to fumigate Washington postal plant
The pending decontamination of Washington's principal mail-processing plant draws hundreds of postal workers and residents to a meeting seeking assurance that no anthrax spores will remain and none of the toxic gas used in the decontamination will leak. A crowd of nearly 800 peppers officials with questions about their plan to pump chlorine dioxide gas into the building sometime this spring. Robert Brannum, a DC public school teacher, says in an interview before the meeting that neighborhood residents are "not only scared of that building, they're scared of getting mail," and that Brentwood should be torn down and rebuilt if there is no reasonable certainty it can be cleansed. Thomas G. Day, the Postal Service's vice president for engineering, says a buffer zone will be set up around Brentwood during fumigation to keep nearby residents and entrepreneurs at a safe distance.

International biosecurity conference planned
Harvard Medical School, Harvard Medical International, and Key3Media Group Inc. announce plans to jointly present a global biological security conference November 18 to 22, 2002, in Las Vegas. Called BioSecurity 2002, the conference will provide a forum for senior government officials, scientists, researchers, physicians, public health and hospital officials, and other healthcare providers to learn more about bioterorism and how to manage it. Keynote speakers will represent senior world leadership in the field, and plenary sessions will explore common interests across disciplines.

March 26

Anthrax vaccine did not affect pregnancy rate in Army women
Anthrax vaccination in more than 4,000 nonpregnant US Army women had no effect on pregnancy or birth rates and no discernible impact on the risk of adverse birth outcomes, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The 14-month study involved 4,092 women at two Georgia installations, of whom 3,136 received at least one dose of the anthrax vaccine. Results showed no significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated women in reproductive rates or adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight and structural abnormalities. However, the study did not assess the effect of anthrax vaccination during pregnancy, and there were too few adverse birth outcomes to rule out a small effect of the vaccine on the risk of such outcomes.

Postal Service prepares to decontaminate buildings
The US Postal Service is preparing to sanitize anthrax-contaminated facilities in Washington, DC, and New Jersey. Cleanup crews have sealed the Brentwood facility in Washington to prevent any spores from escaping, and equipment is being installed to fill the building with germ-killing gas. The procedure could take 2 months, according to Thomas G. Day, postal vice president for engineering. "No one goes back in there to work until the facility has been cleaned and is proven to be clean," he says. Postal officials studied the process of cleaning the Hart Senate Office Building and hope to successfully apply it to their much larger facility. Brentwood has 17.5 million cubic feet of space; only about 100,000 cubic feet in the Hart building required gas treatment.

Emergency medicine expert nominated to be surgeon general
President Bush nominates a physician experienced in dealing with medical emergencies to be the nation's surgeon general. Richard H. Carmona, a trauma surgeon and professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson, has worked as a nurse, physician, health policy specialist, and hospital administrator. He also served as an Army Green Beret in Vietnam, founded Arizona's first emergency medical system, and serves as a deputy sheriff and SWAT team member. One senior administration officials says, "We were looking for someone who could really fill the role as being the nation's leading health care educator." The official adds that Carmona's expertise in medical emergencies "enhanced his credentials and made him someone who could play an important role in helping the president address these issues." Carmona has long been an advocate for better local preparedness for bioterrorism.

Johns Hopkins administrator nominated to direct NIH
President Bush nominates Elias A. Zerhouni as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a job that has been vacant for 2 years. Zerhouni is executive vice dean of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and chairman of the radiology department there. Colleagues at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere say that Zerhouni, an accomplished researcher, is a man equally capable of speaking the language of theoretical science, raising millions of dollars from supporters, and navigating the difficult political currents of an academic setting. "He really is a man for all seasons," says Alexander Margulis, a radiology professor at Cornell University. Says Bush, "Dr. Zerhouni is well-prepared to manage this rapidly growing institution during times of great new opportunity and urgent biodefense needs." He adds, "One former colleague calls him a quadruple threat: a doctor who excels at teaching, researching, patient care, and management."

Anthrax in Connecticut case may have come from junk mail
Ottilie Lundgren, the 94-year-old Connecticut woman who died of inhalation anthrax in November, may have been exposed to the bacteria when she tore her junk mail in half before disposing of it. Connecticut's state epidemiologist, Dr James L. Hadler, says that none of Mrs. Lundgren's first-class mail passed through contaminated postal centers. However, 80% of her mail was bulk mail, and some of this passed through the postal center in Trenton, N.J., where the highly contaminated letters sent to Sen. Tom Daschle and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy were processed. Hadler says extensive testing of the postal distribution center in Wallingford, Conn., revealed anthrax spores on 4 of 13 sorting machines, particularly one machine that handled mostly bulk mail. More than 1,000 postal workers from Wallingford received a 60-day course of preventive antibiotics.

Family of Washington anthrax victim sues medical center
Attorneys representing the family of Thomas L. Morris Jr., the Washington, DC, postal worker who died last fall of inhalation anthrax, file a multimillion-dollar lawsuit accusing a Maryland medical center of misdiagnosing his symptoms. The lawsuit says the healthcare providers at Kaiser Permanente Marlow Heights Medical Center told Morris to take Tylenol for his flu-like symptoms and sent him home. Morris died Oct 21. He "died needlessly because of the negligence" at the Prince George's County facility, says Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., a member of the family's high-profile legal team. The suit alleges medical malpractice, wrongful death, negligence, and other errors. It names nurse practitioner Alan Korff and the Kaiser health plan that owns the medical center.

Public health lessons from the anthrax attacks
A CNN report describes lessons the country's public health community learned from the anthrax attacks of last fall. Medical specialists who reviewed the events mention the following points: (1) track the vulnerable people along the line of exposure; (2) treat sick people aggressively; (3) share sensitive information with those who need to know; (4) don't assume a case is isolated; and (5) most important, improve communication with the public during a bioterrorism crisis.

CDC expert warns of threat of food-based bioterrorism
Hundreds of health officials in Atlanta for the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases are warned that terrorists might try to spread deadly germs through the food supply. Terrorists could try to make the biological attack even more dangerous by taking down critical communications systems, according to experts from the CDC. "The national system was overwhelmed by the anthrax scare last fall," says Dr James Hughes, chief of infectious diseases at the CDC. "Clearly we learned that we were not adequately prepared. This was a small attack." Hughes says health experts must be aware of the possibility of genetically altered germs, the release of more than one agent at a time, and transmission through animals and the food supply.

March 25

Traces of anthrax and ricin found at al-Qaida sites
US troops discovered traces of anthrax at suspected al-Qaida biological weapons sites, says the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers. He says the samples are so small that they don't prove the terrorists could use anthrax as a weapon. A site near Kandahar also tested positive for ricin, a potent poison made from castor beans. The site contained some, though not all, equipment needed to make anthrax into a weapon.

Koplan again defends CDC's handling of anthrax attacks
Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, departing director of the CDC, again defends his agency's handling of the anthrax attack and the way it was communicated to the public. Koplan makes the comments in an interview as he announces that he will accept a position as vice president for academic health affairs at Emory University in Atlanta. News reports have suggested that he resigned from his CDC position under pressure from officials of the Department of Health and Human Services. But Koplan says, "I resigned totally of my own volition. Whatever people's perceptions are, I can only say that this was my choice."

March 24

Pentagon cuts ties with elite scientific advisory panel
The Pentagon has abruptly severed its ties with a secretive advisory panel of elite scientists, leading to accusations that the country is hurting its ability to deal with increasingly sophisticated terrorists, according to a New York Times report. The move by the Pentagon, first reported by National Public Radio, took place under contentious circumstances whose details are described differently by the panel, called Jason, and the Defense Department agency that dropped Jason's contract. Since early in the Cold War, Jason has been the Pentagon's most prestigious source of advice outside the defense establishment on developing threats and futuristic weaponry. According to members of Jason, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency wanted the panel to accept two Silicon Valley executives and a Washington insider with an engineering degree into its ranks. When the panel refused, the agency ended the contract.

Lilly to fund program to help foreign scientists fight bioterrorism
Eli Lilly and Co. announces it will fund a government program to help scientists from other countries fight bioterrorism and the natural spread of infectious diseases. Twenty-eight visiting scientists will train in CDC laboratories so they can better respond to outbreaks. Overseeing the effort will be the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an arm of the federal agency that forges partnerships outside government. The CDC has a similar program for US scientists. Lilly, an Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company, is providing $2 million for the program over 4 years.

March 23

Sep 11 hijacker may have had skin anthrax
One of the Sep 11 hijackers sought treatment in June 2001 for a skin lesion that the physician later concluded was consistent with cutaneous anthrax, according to a report in the New York Times. The hijacker, Ahmed Alhaznawi, told Dr. Christos Tsanos of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that the dark sore on his leg came from bumping into a suitcase, according to the story. Tsanos thought the lesion was curious, but he cleaned it and prescribed an antibiotic without investigating further. After Sep 11, federal investigators found the medication among one of the hijackers' possessions. They interviewed Tsanos, who reviewed the case and concluded that the lesion was consistent with anthrax. A group of experts from the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies recently interviewed Tsonas and wrote a memorandum stating that cutaneous anthrax was the likeliest diagnosis in the case. The story says FBI and CIA officials have read the Hopkins memo and are pursuing the matter. Officials told the Times that investigators had thoroughly searched the hijackers' belongings for evidence of anthrax, but found none.

March 22

CDC announces global plan to fight infectious diseases
The CDC announces a new international plan to help prevent the emergence and spread of infectious diseases in the United States. Left unchecked, todays emerging diseases can become the endemic diseases of tomorrow, threatening citizens in the US and around the world, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson says in a CDC statement. The plan, Protecting the Nations Health in an Era of Globalization: CDCs Global Infectious Disease Strategy, includes the following points: (1) assistance to other nations in coping with disease outbreaks; (2) a push to expand regional surveillance networks around the globe; (3) research to develop tools to spot, diagnose, predict, and eliminate disease threats; (4) programs to promote the use of proven disease-control measures such as home water treatment; (5) cooperation with CDC partners worldwide; and (6) support for public health training and capacity-building in developing countries. All of these measures will be initiated and expanded incrementally over the next five years as recourses become available, according to the CDC.

Postal rate increase driven in part by anthrax attacks
The US Postal Service, troubled by anthrax-contaminated mail and financial losses, wins permission to raise its rates. The Postal Rate Commission gives the service approval for price increases of 3 cents as early as June 30. The new prices will be the second increase since January 2001 for first-class mail and the third in 18 months for postcards and express mail. The Postal Service says it needs the increase to offset rising costs, slowing mail volume, and unexpected security expenses stemming from the anthrax attacks.

March 21

House panel questions CDC's budget emphasis on bioterrorism
Members of a House Appropriations subcommittee grill Dr. David Fleming, deputy director for science and public health at the CDC, on the agencys proposed budget for fiscal 2003. The Bush administration proposal of $6.6 billion would reduce the CDCs 2003 budget $1.2 billion from 2002. The proposal includes $1.5 billion for the CDCs Bioterrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response Program, money that would come from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. Several subcommittee members question reductions in funds for combating chronic illness and reducing ethnic disparities in health. This request represents the administrations commitment to improve CDCs leadership capabilities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from acts of terrorism, whether they are biological, radiological, chemical, or conventional, Fleming says.

Moscow lab could lose rare microbes in power shutoff
Moscow utility Mosenergo is threatening to cut electricity to a scientific research center that stores strains of the most deadly diseases. Located in Obolensk, some 90 kilometers south of Moscow, the State Center for Applied Microbiology has not paid the utility since October 1998 and now owes 43.5 million rubles ($1.4 million), says Mosenergo spokeswoman Yulia Shagelman. The centers head, Nikolai Urakov, says he cannot pay the energy bill because the funding he gets from the state budget is only 4% of what he needs and is only enough to maintain the main building where the laboratories are located. The center holds strains of anthrax, smallpox, and other diseases, which must be stored at certain temperatures. If the center is without electricity, some rare strains could be lost and years of research could be wasted, Urakov says. The research center and utility company have been involved in a bitter dispute for 2 years.

March 20

Cidofovir derivative looks promising as smallpox treatment
A new derivative of the antiviral drug cidofovir is showing promise as a possible treatment for smallpox, according to researchers from the University of California at San Diego and the Armys biodefense laboratory at Fort Detrick, Md. The oral drug stops replication of the smallpox virus in vitro and prevents symptoms in mice infected with a virus related to smallpox, the scientists say. Cidofovir is given intravenously to treat a complication of AIDS and was recently approved by the FDA as an experimental treatment for smallpox in the event of a bioterrorist attack. The new drug, made by adding a lipid to cidofovir, is 100 times as powerful as the original drug and can be given as a pill, according to Dr. Karl Y. Hostetler, a professor of medicine at UCSD. Dr John Huggins of Fort Detrick says he envisions the drug as a second line of defense for people who are vaccinated against smallpox too late or cannot be vaccinated. The next step is to test the drug in monkeys. Dr Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calls the findings very encouraging.

Democrats want executive branch to seek recall authority for tainted food
Senate Democrats press the Bush administration to seek legal authority to require food companies to recall contaminated products, an authority the industry does not want the government to have. I want the administration to ask for these tools, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., tells Agriculture Department officials. Opposition from the food industry blocked a Clinton administration bid to obtain mandatory recall authority from Congress. However, last falls anthrax attacks raised new concerns in Congress about whether the government has the power it needs to protect the food supply. Elsa Murano, the Agriculture Departments under secretary for food safety, says food companies nearly always recall contaminated products without being forced to do so.

March 19

Al Qaeda studied bioweapons but hasnt made any, investigators think
After months of searching the wreckage of terrorist training camps and other sites in Afghanistan, investigators conclude that Al Qaeda researched chemical and biological weapons but probably has not acquired or produced them, government officials say. Soil samples, swabs, and other tests have so far turned up no evidence of anthrax or other materials that would make chemical or biological weapons. If Al Qaeda members performed any experiments, they appear to have been small in scale, analysts conclude. They havent found anything, one American official says. There are no traces showing production at any of the sites we thought might be involved." Officials caution that more sites remain to be tested and that remnants of Al Qaedas leadership are almost certainly still trying to obtain chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons.

No hint yet of who will replace Koplan as CDC director
With less than 2 weeks remaining until CDC Director Jeffrey Koplan, MD, steps down, no acting director has been appointed, and no names of permanent successors have surfaced, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The CDC has three deputy directors: Martha Katz, Virginia Shankle Bales, and David Fleming. The article says agency insiders view Fleming, the only physician among the three, as the most likely candidate to become interim director. Koplans departure came abruptly, though not as a surprise. In its 56 years of existence, the CDC has had 13 directors; since the 1980s, few have stayed longer than 4 years. Koplans tenure lasted 3 years and 6 months. A Democratic appointee serving under a Republican administration, he came into conflict with Health and Human Services Department officials during last falls anthrax crisis, according to some CDC staff members. Other vacant high-level positions at the nations health agencies include surgeon general, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and head of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Hindus will omit powder tossing at festival in Queens, N.Y.
Organizers of the upcoming Hindu festival and parade in Queens, N.Y., agree to eliminate tossing of white and red powders this year because of recent anthrax scares. The parade, also known as the Festival of Colors, is one of the most popular religious holidays among Hindus in India and around the world and is observed by thousands in Queens. The use of the colored powders symbolizes friendship and love. The commander of the 102^nd Police Precinct, Capt. Thomas Cea, says he asked parade organizers to avoid using the powders.

March 18

Suspicious powder sent to Palestinian embassy in Moscow
Officials at the Palestinian Embassy in Moscow say the embassy received an envelope containing an unidentified white powder. The envelope, addressed to Palestinian Ambassador Hairi al-Oridi, was discovered by a secretary and was sent to the Moscow epidemiological center for testing. The Interfax news agency says the letter arrived at the embassy from St. Petersburg but had no return address or name. Hundreds of cases of mail containing suspicious powder were reported in Russia after the anthrax scare in the United States, but anthrax was found in only one case. A diplomatic mailbag sent from Washington to the US consulate in Yekaterinburg tested positive for a negligible amount of anthrax spores.

Canadian customs officers seek smallpox protection
Canadian customs officers may soon get vaccines, antibiotics, or special gear to protect them from smallpox during border checks. We are looking into this, says customs spokeswoman Collette Gentes-Hawn. Emerson Waugh, of the Customs Excise Union, says officers want access to vaccines, antibiotics, preventive gear, or information on how to detect and stop the spread of smallpox. We are the most vulnerable, he says.

March 16

China tightening controls on weapons-related exports
China has told the United States it is tightening controls on nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile exports, suggesting that an ongoing non-proliferation dispute can be resolved soon, US officials say. The Bush administration has demanded adherence to a November 2000 agreement attempting to halt Chinas exporting of missile technology to Pakistan and other states. The dispute has marred a relationship that had improved, particularly in the area of anti-terrorism cooperation. US officials tell Reuters that in recent Washington talks, top Chinese arms-control negotiator Liu Jieyi provided new assurances reaching beyond the missile issue. Liu informed us what they are doing with nuclear export controls, CBW [chemical and biological weapons], and missile technology, and in all those areas they professed they are in the process of tightening their export controls, one US official says.

March 15

Powder in mail sparks anthrax fears at US embassy in Rome
Officials at the US embassy in Rome report that the embassy received mail containing a powdery substance, prompting fears it could be anthrax. The embassy mail room received a diplomatic pouch from the US state department which was found to have a white powder in it, an embassy spokesman tells Reuters. The re-sealed pouch was turned over to a specialized biochemical unit of the local fire brigade, where it will be tested. Since the Sep 11 attacks, the US embassy in Rome has been considered a potential target for terrorists. Last month nine Moroccans were arrested with maps of the embassy, charts of Romes water system, and a large quantity of a potentially lethal cyanide compound. Police say they found holes dug from utility tunnels near the embassy, suggesting that someone planned to use them for planting explosives.

FAS official says anthrax attacks may have stemmed from CIA 'field trial'
Barbara Rosenberg, director of the Federation of American Scientists Chemical and Biological Weapons Program, says last fall's anthrax attacks may have been the result of a CIA field trial that went badly awry, according to a report in Britain's Birmingham Post. Rosenberg says the CIA may have picked an expert to conduct a field trial on the possible effects of delivering anthrax through the mail and may have let that person decide exactly how to do it. The result might have been a project gone badly awry, if he decided to use it for his own purposes and target the media and the Senate for his own motives as not intended by the government project, Rosenberg says. She believes the person who perpetrated the attacks had knowledge both of the law and of the type of detective work required to catch him. Rosenberg earlier accused the FBI of dragging its feet in the anthrax investigation and claimed the agency has a suspect that it is reluctant to charge because of his knowledge of government secrets.

March 14

NIH outlines spending plan for biodefense research
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) releases an outline of how it will spend $1.2 billion in bioterrorism research funding. The plans include testing of potential new vaccines against anthrax and the Ebola virus and basic research on how the immune system fends off invaders. Though Congress has yet to vote on the Bush administration's proposal to award the NIH that amount for bioterrorism work, the agency announces its strategy to explain the network of basic laboratory research and clinical studies necessary for battling the most worrisome bioterrorism agents: anthrax, smallpox, plague, tularemia, viral hemorrhagic fevers, and botulism. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says studies focusing on the immune system bring an added bonus: What scientists learn about the response to a a bioterrorism-related disease should shed light on naturally occurring killers, too.

USDA promises stricter regulation of imported meat
Elsa Murano, the US Department of Agriculture's under secretary for food safety, promises tougher supervision of imported meat, including possibly dispatching agency inspectors to Mexico to ensure that local meatpackers comply with US laws. Murano defends the agency's meat policies during two hours of questioning by a House appropriations subcommittee, saying the USDA is "in a strong position" to safeguard imported and domestic products against both bioterrorism attacks and foodborne pathogens. She declines lawmakers' offers to expand her legal authority to close plants, recall tainted products, or require special labeling for foreign meat. "If we're doing a good job of making sure the food is safe, the country of origin doesn't matter," she says.

Bioterrorism attack could hit underserved groups hard
Dr. Mohammad N. Akhter, head of the American Public Health Association, warns the US Commission on Civil Rights that the nation is badly prepared for a bioterrorism attack, particularly with respect to underserved populations. Akhter says 40 million uninsured Americans would be most vulnerable should the country experience a biological disaster or bioterrorist attack. Substance abusers, minorities, and rural residents are already underserved by local public health systems that lack mechanisms to help them in case of an emergency. "Health departments are inadequate across the country," Akhter says. "Individuals who live in rural areas and many who live in inner cities lack access to health care, even when they have full insurance coverage. A terrorist attack will further exacerbate the difficulties of the uninsured . . . in obtaining any type of health care services."

March 13

Texas lab worker involved in bioterror probe has skin anthrax
The CDC reveals that a Texas laboratory worker recently contracted cutaneous anthrax while processing specimens from last fall's anthrax attacks. It is the first domestic case of the disease since November. The unidentified worker is receiving antibiotic treatment and is recovering from the infection, which appears to have originated in the laboratory. A preliminary CDC investigation suggests there were irregularities in the way the worker handled the specimens. The patient worked in one of several laboratories with which the CDC has contracted in recent months. The specimens include tens of thousands of environmental swabs being tested for anthrax contamination.

House committee approves big boost in domestic security funding
The House Budget Committee adopts a Republican tax-and-spending plan for the coming year that gives President Bush the money he wants to combat terrorism while restraining the deficit by cutting or limiting financing for other programs. The $2.1 trillion budget plan would increase military spending by $46.3 billion, or 13.3 percent, and nearly double, to $37.7 billion, money for domestic security needs such as bioterrorism preparedness, border patrols, and training and equipment for fire and police departments. The resolution now goes to the House floor, where Republican leaders hope to take it up next week.

FDA to speed drug review with funds from industry
The Food and Drug Administration reaches agreement with drug companies on how to speed review of new medications, in return for tens of millions of dollars in new industry fees. Historically the industry has funded a significant portion of the FDA's drug review work. However, the agreement would allow some of that money to go to improve safety monitoring of new drugs and allow the FDA to eventually double its staff for such safety monitoring.

March 12

Seafood industry concerned about product vulnerability, federal regulation
Some 20,000 people meeting in Boston at the International Seafood Show face sobering news on the vulnerability of the nation's food supply, particularly seafood, and the effects of new regulations on the industry. Some experts say the industry could be susceptible because raw fish provide a breeding ground for bacteria and because the industry includes numerous small companies, making oversight difficult. A bioterrorism bill passed by the Senate in December provides for stronger federal oversight of the seafood industry, requiring federal registration of processing plants and authorizing the Food and Drug Administration to seize catches in an emergency. While the industry insists safety is its priority, some worry that its many small businesses could be vulnerable to over regulation.

Ridge unveils color-coded threat advisory system
Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge unveils a color-coded U.S. threat advisory system giving the country "a national framework and a common vocabulary" so that government and the private sector can deal realistically with threats of terrorist attack. Ridge tells a gathering of federal officials and local law enforcement people that the warning system has five levels: green, the lowest alert level, followed by blue, yellow, orange, and red, the highest state of alert. Each code triggers specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments. "For every level of threat there will be a level of preparedness," Ridge says. "It is a system that is equal to the threat." He adds that the nation is currently on yellow alert, an elevated risk that will remain in effect for some time.

March 11

Researchers working on 'universal' drugs to stimulate innate immunity
A group of scientists is working to invent "universal drugs" that they say would work better than vaccines by stimulating the immune system to prevent a wide range of health threats. They say the potential for many biological threats  from anthrax, smallpox and plague to botulism, Ebola and tularemia  makes vaccinating the entire US population unrealistic. Instead, they hope to create broad-spectrum or universal drugs to boost the body's innate immune system to fight a range of pathogens. Their approach departs from the medical model of using drugs and vaccines to treat specific diseases. "Clearly, there's a role for this in terms of increasing general resistance  not just for treating bioterror agents, but for infectious diseases," says Dr. Peter Rosen, an expert on emergency medicine in San Diego, who headed an Institute of Medicine panel in the late 1990s on improving civilian response to chemical and biological terrorism. The panel of 20 experts decided that research into innate immunity "was an area of biology that should be encouraged," Rosen says.

March 10

Frist says nation is underprepared for biological attacks
Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., the only physician in the U.S. Senate, tells the National League of Cities that the nation is "underprepared" to deal with the potential threat from more than 10 countries believed to have active biological weapons programs. He further warns city officials that their role is ultimately most important in combating the increased risk of bioterrorism. State and local communities will receive $1.1 billion from the federal bioterrorism preparedness budget this year, and their share is scheduled to increase to $1.6 billion next year. However, Frist adds that coordination among public health officials, emergency medical responders, and law enforcement agencies is just as important as the money.

Hospital emergency departments shut out of homeland security spending
With $38 billion budgeted for homeland security, none will go for hospital rooms, says a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The story reports that emergency rooms frequently have too few beds and staff to accommodate routine patients, let alone a crisis. Dr. Arthur Kellermann, director of emergency medicine at Emory University, worries about having enough beds to handle even a modest flu epidemic. According to Kellerman, every day last year the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio had to send no vacancy messages to ambulances, and at least two hospital emergency rooms in Boston were filled to capacity and closed every day. With billions earmarked for emergency preparedness post-September 11, youd think policy-makers would flag emergency room capacity as an essential, says Kellerman. The American Hospital Association says the emergency bed shortage is directly connected to the overall decline in hospital beds.

March 9

Postal Service plans to use PCR testing to detect pathogens in mail
The US Postal Service says it plans to use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to detect anthrax spores and other biohazards in the mail. Use of the PCR technology with high-speed mail sorters is still being tested, but the Postal Service plans to sign a $200 million contract by the end of September to install the PCR system at 292 facilities, Chief Engineer Tom Day says. The discovery that PCR, or molecular photocopying, can help detect biohazards without waiting 24 hours for lab analysis has enabled the Postal Service to cut its projected costs to fight bioterror attacks. Give credit to American technology and industry, Day says. Theyve come up with a good approach for us in PCR. Last December Congress designated $500 million to help the Postal Service protect the mail system against bioterrorism. The Postal Service also plans to spend $245 million to retrofit its high-speed sorters with a system that will vacuum up air near the mail and feed it through a filter to capture any harmful bacteria, Day says.

March 8

Drug companies launch Web site on bioterrorism preparedness
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) announces the launching of a Web site on bioterrorism preparedness. Homelandhealth.com offers news and information for consumers, healthcare professionals, the media, and government officials, according to PhRMA. The site content is provided by government sources including the Department of Health and Human Services.

Data on possible anthrax antitoxins turned over to Pentagon
Graham Richards, head of chemistry at Oxford University, provides the US Department of Defense with a computer disk containing data on 300,000 molecules that hold promise for development as anthrax treatment. The molecules were identified during a 4-week period in which 3.5 billion candidate molecules were screened through a distributed computing project. Though an automated process, thousands of personal computers were used to screen the molecules for the ability to block the assembly of the anthrax toxin. Of the 300,000 molecular candidates for further research, 12,000 look particularly promising. Dr. Richards delivers the disk to Anna Johnson-Winnegar, head of the Pentagons chemical and biological defense, who will decide how to pursue the molecular leads. The anthrax project is an offshoot of Oxfords main distributed computing project, funded by the U.S. National Foundation for Cancer Research, which is seeking anti-cancer drugs.

March 7

IOM panel says anthrax vaccine is acceptable but needs improvement
A committee of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that the anthrax vaccine is effective and acceptably safe but needs improvement. The vaccine is likely to work even against bacterial strains that have been engineered as weapons, the committee says. The committee found no evidence to support claims of soldiers who said they had been injured by their inoculations. The group concluded, however, that the vaccine, given in six subcutaneous injections over 18 months, is far from optimal and seems to cause more injection-site reactions than occur with other dosing regimens. The report urges the Defense Department to accelerate its research to find a new vaccine. Financed by the Pentagon, the IOM study is the most comprehensive examination of the vaccine to date. The findings may clear the way for the Pentagon to resume its program of vaccinating all soldiers.

Tularemia remains uncommon in US, says CDC
The CDC reports that tularemia, one of six diseases deemed most likely to be used by bioterrorists, remains uncommon in the United States, but medical professionals should be alert for it. The agency says 1,368 cases occurred between 1990 and 2000, with Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Oklahoma accounting for 56% of them. Humans usually contract tularemia, also called rabbit fever or deerfly fever, through tick or insect bites or by contact with infected animals such as rabbits and muskrats. Tularemia is potentially fatal but can be successfully treated with antibiotics, according to the CDC report in the Mar 8 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Without prophylactic antibiotics, anthrax toll might have doubled
A statistical analysis indicates that widespread use of prophylactic antibiotics following the October anthrax attacks prevented at least nine people from contracting inhalational anthrax. The researchers attempted to estimate how anthrax would have spread in the absence of antibiotics among three affected groups: employees at American Media Inc in Florida and postal workers in New Jersey and Washington, DC. All were exposed to letters containing anthrax spores. Eight people in those groups contracted inhalational anthrax, and threea photo editor at American Media and two Washington postal workersdied. The authors calculated that antibiotics given to about 5,000 people in the three groups cut the number of inhalational anthrax cases approximately in half, from an estimated 17 infections to the 8 reported cases. The study appears in the Mar 8 issue of Science.

March 6

Anthrax cleaning bill for Capitol Hill exceeds $23 million
The cleaning bill for ridding Capitol Hill of anthrax came to more than $23 million, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports. The figure is nearly double the initial estimate and more than the $21 million Congress gave the agency to address the problem across the nation. The EPA discloses the cost in response to an inquiry from Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who has called for a full accounting of the agencys handling of the recovery effort. Scientists continue to study how best to clean facilities, including those of the US Postal Service, after last falls bioterrorist attacks. Currently the Postal Service    is preparing to fumigate its Washington sorting and delivery facility, whose main floor is twice the size of the Hart Senate Office Building. The Brentwood facility will be the first building treated, and postal managers will use it as a test before they try to clean contaminated facilities in New Jersey.

March 5

Bush reportedly will nominate Johns Hopkins executive to head NIH
The Washington Post quotes unnamed sources as saying that President Bush expects to nominate Elias Zerhouni as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The appointment would conclude a search for someone to preside over the nations leading biomedical research agency, which has functioned without a permanent director for more than two years. Zerhouni, currently executive vice-dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, meets the administrations desire for a respected scientist who could live within Bushs ethical restrictions on controversial research involving cloning and embryonic stem cells. If confirmed, Zerhouni will inherit a huge department at a critical time. The NIH employs more than 15,000 people on its 300-acre Bethesda campus and funds more than 2,000 biomedical projects. The agency is in the process of expanding its research on bioterrorism.

Local public health agencies nearing completion of crisis response plans
A new survey by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) finds that over 80% of local public health agencies have either completed or almost completed comprehensive response plans. One fourth (26%) have a comprehensive written emergency response plan completed and in place, and over half (55%) have plans that are 80% complete. Of the agencies with complete plans, however, only 12% say they have a bioterrorism-specific piece of their emergency response plan developed and in place.

Researchers find few serious adverse events related to anthrax vaccine
Results to date from a nationwide database for vaccine side effects indicate no clear pattern of illness associated with the anthrax vaccine. But investigation remains an ongoing process, says Dr. Bryan L. Martin of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Martin and co-researcher Dr. Renata Engler presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Martin, Engler, and colleagues examined data from the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, a nationwide database sponsored by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration. They found that, among more than 520,000 military personnel who have received more than 2 million doses of anthrax vaccine since 1998, there were 82 severe adverse events leading to hospitalization or prolonged disability.

New York hospital group retools information system to hone disaster response
New York Presbyterian Healthcare System has redesigned its information technology system to include a state-of-the-art disaster response system, according to a report in the March 5 issue of the newsletter Bioterror Medical Alert. The Sep 11 attacks exposed many deficiencies in the nations preparedness for terrorist attacks, including communication difficulties between hospitals, public health departments, emergency providers, and other critical services. At the time of the attacks, New York Presbyterian was plagued by Internet access problems, interrupted phone service, and a lack of prioritized lists of information about available resources within the system, according to David Liss, the systems vice president for strategic initiatives. To centralize information flow during a crisis, his systems new plan includes an upgrade to its intranet and a special web page for physicians Other capabilities include an emergency preparedness site that allows hospitals to rapidly share information on casualties, surge capacities, and other matters.

Mar 4

Study describes how anthrax spores germinate at just the right time
University of Michigan scientists report they have discovered the genetic attributes that allow anthrax spores to survive harsh conditions for decades and then, under certain circumstances, germinate quickly. Anthrax can survive for decades because of a tough outer coat that is impervious to severe weather. A new study shows that germination from the dormant state requires the coordinated activity of several genes, proteins, amino acids, and at least two signaling pathways. The redundant mechanisms are "the bug's way of ensuring that it won't lose its protective armor until conditions are right for germination," co-author Philip Hanna says.

Mar 3

Diluted smallpox vaccine appears to be effective, says Fauci
A nearly completed study indicates that the existing stock of smallpox vaccine can be diluted by up to a factor of 10 and still be effective. Consequently the nation's supply of 15 million doses can be diluted to 150 million doses, says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "I can say with some certainty that it's been a successful experiment," Fauci tells CNN. The vaccine was diluted by 5 to 1 and 10 to 1, and in both cases it appeared to elicit enough of an immune response to prevent the disease. As tests near completion, Fauci says, "Both dilutions are looking good."

Mar 1

Texas veterinarian may be fined for burning anthrax-infected carcasses
Michael L. Vickers, the veterinarian who discovered the Ames strain of anthrax, may be fined $9,000 by the state of Texas for burning anthrax-infected carcasses. The World Health Organization agrees with Vickers that the preferred method of safely disposing of infected carcasses is burning, but the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission has proposed fining the veterinarian for burning infected carcasses in a pit behind his office near Falfurrias, Texas. A hearing on Vickers' case was held this week in Austin. The agency, according to Vickers, is more interested in promoting air quality than in preventing anthrax. In 1981, Vickers isolated from a dead cow the strain of anthrax that came to be known as Ames, the type used in last falls anthrax attacks.

Automated biotechnology could be used to unleash dangerous bugs
Biotechnology is speeding up and automating the work of genetically engineering microorganisms, thereby creating potential dangers as well as benefits. You can now finish before lunch projects that used to consume a Ph.D. thesis, says Gigi Kwik, a fellow at Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies. Some scientists say that packaged kits and automated DNA synthesizers could allow untrained engineers to create novel pathogens that could resist antibiotics or that could wreak havoc by tricking the immune system into attacking the body. A US law passed last October made it a crime to possess biological agents except for research or medical uses. It also requires drug and background checks on lab workers who handle certain dangerous microbes. We dont have a good handle on what pathogens are where, says Amy Smithson, a bioterrorism expert at the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington. Those regulations should be in place worldwide.

FBI chief defends bureaus handling of anthrax investigation
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III defends his agencys investigation of the anthrax attacks, saying scientists allegations that the FBI is mishandling the case are totally inaccurate. Though the bureau has not yet identified specific suspects or sources for the anthrax, Mueller says in a meeting with reporters in Washington that FBI investigators are working in a number of different directions to solve the case. I dont think in any way, shape or form that we have been dragging our feet, Mueller says. Because of the unique nature and form [of the anthrax probe], it takes some time. With no firm suspects in the case, the FBI began issuing new subpoenas this week to laboratories for anthrax samples and records related to them.

Local postal managers get power to close and reopen buildings
The government gives local postal officials the authority to decide when to close and reopen buildings. The recommendations by Postal Service Inspector General Karla W. Corcoran should prevent a repeat of the fiasco that occurred last fall at a Bellmawr, N.J., mail processing plant, says Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J. The Bellmawr facility was closed and reopened four times in 8 days after a worker showed signs of skin anthrax. Andrews believes that Mike Brose, manager of the South Jersey Postal District, felt subtle or unsubtle pressure from the highest levels of the Postal Service in Washington to resume business.

HHS auditors checking security at 10 university labs
Federal investigators have been examining university labs nationwide to see if they are safe from thieves and hackers looking for possible bioterrorism weapons. Auditors from the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services are currently inspecting labs at about 10 universities, according to a federal official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Officials suspect the anthrax used in last fall's attacks originated at one of the nations biological labs. The official and authorities at three of the universities say the inspections focus on the potential for unauthorized people to obtain hazardous materials and information technology.

Navy research center working on device to quickly detect anthrax exposure
The Naval Dental Research Institute at Great Lakes Naval Training Center is working on a hand-held device to detect anthrax exposure or poisoning of a water supply. Two private companies are assisting in the machines development. Officials say the new tests, while intended for combat soldiers, would likely be available to civilians. Capt. James Ragain Jr, commanding officer of the research institute, says work on the new testing technology began about three years ago in response to the need to test sailors and marines for tuberculosis, but the focus shifted to bioterrorism agents after Sep 11. Currently, testing for anthrax exposure involve culturing of material from nasal swabs, which can be painful. With the new technique, saliva or nasal secretions would be squirted into a hole in the hand-held device, which would produce results in minutes. The new test should be ready for use within a year, officials say.

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