SMALL POX AND HALLOWEEN CANDY- A short primer on viral disease transmission

Dr. Brian Kopp (proud2bRC)

[Brian Kopp DPM]

A short primer on viral disease transmission. Many viral diseases are transmitted via fomites:

fomite

SYLLABICATION: fo·mite
PRONUNCIATION: fmt
NOUN: An inanimate object or substance that is capable of transmitting infectious organisms from one individual to another.
ETYMOLOGY: Back-formation from New Latin fmits, pl. of Latin fmes, tinder, from fovre, to warm. See dhegwh- in Appendix I.

In other words, you touch something, get the virus on your hand, then touch you face, mouth, nose or other mucus membrane.

Candy wrappers would be a perfect fomite because the act of handling the candy wrapper occurs immediately before the contact with the mouth.

In other words, no need to inject anything.

Just a light dusting of smallpox virus in the form or a powder. If done correctly it would be undetectable.

And unlike anthrax, which requires thousands of huge bacterial spores be inhaled into the lungs, relatively few microscopic smallpox viruses would be required. And nasal exposure would be sufficient to cause full blown infection, whereas nasal exposure with anthrax is relatively harmless.

No trick or treating for my kids this year.

• Contact with fomites:
  1. Indirect contact transmission is a form of contact transmission where transmission occurs from a reservoir via inanimate objects.
  2. These objects generally are referred to as fomites.
  3. Fomites are basically almost anything an infected individual (or reservoir) can touch, upon which can be left a residue of contagious pathogen.
• Exceptions include the various inanimates referred to as vehicles:
  1. food
  2. air
  3. liquids
• Typically it is more difficult to avoid indirect contact transmission than it is to avoid direct contact transmission.
• A certain degree of organismal durability may be necessary to survive passage on a fomite.
• The best way to prevent indirect contact transmission is by:
  1. avoiding contact with fomites
  2. avoiding contact of hands with mucous membranes especially when handling or potentially handling fomites
  3. the use of barriers when handling fomites
  4. disinfecting fomites before handling
  Large candy purchases investigated by FBI

  News/Current Events
  Source: Bergen NJ Record
  Published: October 20, 2001 Author: MITCHEL MADDUX and PETER POCHNA
  Posted on 10/20/01 11:17 PM Eastern by spycatcher
  

  The FBI said Friday that it is investigating the cash purchase of "large quantities" of candy from Costco stores in Hackensack and Wayne.

  "We have been advised and we are looking into the incident of a gentleman buying large quantities of candy," said Sandra Carroll, an FBI spokeswoman in Newark.

  Carroll declined to identify the purchaser, but indicated that he is in federal custody for immigration law reasons not related to the purchase of the candy.

  "I cannot comment on INS detainees," Carroll said.

  Carroll said it would be premature to draw conclusions about the purchaser's intent for the candy, which agents had not found by Friday night. She declined to describe the candy.

  "We have no evidence or information for us to suspect there is any reason to cancel scheduled events," Carroll said when asked if the FBI had concerns about the safety of Halloween. "However, the public is encouraged to remain alert but calm."

  Hackensack police took a report from Costco about the candy purchase at the Hackensack store at 11:40 a.m. Wednesday. The police then contacted the FBI.

  "They told us to stay out of it," said Hackensack Police Chief Charles "Ken" Zisa.

  Zisa said the FBI had already learned about the purchase. A local Costco manager had reported the incident to corporate headquarters, near Seattle, and had sent a videotape from a store security camera, Zisa said.

  An official at Costco's corporate headquarters said Friday night that no one was available to comment on the matter. Another Costco official, who declined to be identified, said such large purchases from the chain of wholesale grocery and household goods stores are not uncommon.

  Kerry Gill, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service in Newark, said he could not discuss the case because of confidentiality policies.

  
  

Candy man

News/Current Events
Source: snopes.com
Published: Oct 20 Author: Snopes.com
Posted on 10/20/01 6:26 PM Eastern by earaiak

I called the Hackensack location (because I grew sick of the false alarms and rumors) and this information is true. Guys be careful a notice just came to me from someone that works in Costco. 2 Arabic guys bought more than $35,000.00 dollars worth of candy, in Wayne $15,000.00 & in Hackensack $20,0000.00. After they left they found out their Costco i.d was fake, & they paid the whole thing cash. The F.B.I. was notified just be careful with your kids for trick o' treating on Halloween!!! i just thought u wanted to know that. DON"T LET THOSE KIDS GO OUT FOR HALLOWEEN!

---

No kneejerking allowed. So far it hasn't been unsubstantiated. Check out the snopes site for more info: The Candy Man

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you for the ping and drawing my attention to this.

I don't think it is tin foil hat stuff at all!!!!

How can anyone NOT want to take extra measures especially this year to protect children or anyone from things happening.

We ALL should be highly suspect of everything right now, think, look,osberve people around you ,wash your hands more then usual and stay sharp.Learn what we can about what is going on and be aware..... is what may safe lives.

Thank you for this VERY important thread.

[Sabertooth]

[Sabertooth]

[BJungNan]

Who is the idiot store managers that would allow this purchase to be made in the first place. They should have refused the sale.

The situation was obvious enough to call the FBI but not obvious enough to refuse the sale?

[copycat]

bin laden stated that next they would strike the "heart of America." One FReeper suggested that could mean an attack on our children...our next generation of warriors and fathers. Each person must decide for themselves, but it does not seem far-fetched to me that terrorists would try to poison our kids.

[Larousse2]

Another idea would be to have bios on those candies and give them out in holiday gifts...horrors!

Agree that schools are one of the fastest methods of spreading bios. That Russian bio scientist who defected a few years ago, said that a combination of anthrax and smallpox would be about the worst of them all.

[Old Student]

My wife and I are praying for you. She's not posting right now but we share your concern and frankly, we've been convinced that this was the next stage for a very long time. People who think they can just throw away all the candy they get trick-or-treating and substitute candy they think is safe from the store are TOTALLY DELUDED if they managed to still feel so smug after reading this thread. PLEASE email us if there's anything in the world we can do for your son and you right now. We're not posting any more because of another matter entirely, but if you wouldn't mind passing the word on: THIS IS THE YEAR TO EAT STUFF YOU YOURSELF MADE FROM SCRATCH AND DON'T EVEN GET NEAR CANDY IN THE STORES.

[Larousse2]

Right. I read recently that the smallpox vaccination is only good for about 20 years.

[Artist]

Is Halloween candy a suitable vehicle for transmitting smallpox?

[Larousse2]

Please go to www.medicinegarden.com and read about Homeopathic remedies for bios.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

This "bump" is a good excuse to bring this important thread back to the top and ask, nicely of course!, to be added to your bump list. (Thank you in advance!)

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

There was another incident in which a man bought a lot, maybe 1700 bucks worth, returned it and it was put back on the shelf after a "health inspection".

More details please. Source? (local TV, radio, here at FR?)

[poet]

Thanks. My grandkids are not going trick or treating this year except to family homes.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I know this because I was one of the last children to be vaccinated for smallpox in 1982.

Well, no doubt you might have been vaccinated in 1982, BUT.......... the official vaccination program (i.e. public health) STOPPED in 1972.

Journal of American Medical Association's Article on "Smallpox as a Biological Weapon - Medical and Public Health Management

[Sabertooth]

October 20, 2001

A Scramble to Counter
Any Threat of Smallpox

By MELODY PETERSEN and KEITH BRADSHER

"After announcing plans to stockpile 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine,
the government must now determine where it can quickly get so much...."

[rightofrush]

And what would be the consequences following the deaths of thousands, possibly many tens of thousands of children's deaths?

A lot of sand gets turned to glass.

[Jennifer in Florida]

I do worry about Halloween. We've pretty much decided we won't participate this year. Just the school party. If it's overreaction, no big deal. Remember, they keep warning us that something big might happen. And Halloween is coming. Chances are nothing will happen, but as far as I'm concerned why take any chances?

I know what you mean. We decided weeks ago that we weren't going to do it this year. It just didn't seem "appropriate" to be celebrating Halloween this year. After the anthrax scares started happening, there was more reason not to participate.

[B4Ranch]

Yes, it is ideal to transmit. Put the smallpox bio on the paperwrap. The victim holds the paperwrap, unwraps the candy, then puts the candy in his/her mouth with his/her fingers. Operation complete!

[Snow Bunny]

Plus the wrapper could be dropped along the way, or throw away and the evidence is gone. Thanks

[JENINMO]

Not to make light of this (I'm glad my kids are past trick or treating age) but $35,000 worth of candy at ONE location? Do they even CARRY THAT MUCH at one location?

Here's a thought, maybe they're buying up all the candy to ruin Halloween, sort of the Grinches that stole Halloween.