Egyptian Sailor Dies in Brazil From Anthrax- Brazil Police

Reuters ^ | April 28, 2003

[Shermy]

BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - A crew member of an Egyptian merchant ship has died in northern Brazil, almost certainly from anthrax, after opening a suitcase suspected of containing the substance which he was taking to Canada.

A spokesman for Brazilian federal police in the Amazon state of Para said on Monday an autopsy of the Egyptian man, whom he named as Ibrahim Saved Soliman Ibrahim, showed that he had died after vomiting, internal bleeding and multiple organ failure.

"He was the victim of anthrax," said Castro, adding that police were 90 percent certain that Ibrahim had died of anthrax.

Ibrahim died in the hotel were he was staying on April 11. Several health workers who found his body were taken to a hospital after becoming ill but are now out of danger.

Ibrahim had traveled to Brazil from Cairo to join his ship, the Wabi Alaras, which loaded bauxite in the Amazon to take to Canada.

"We imagine that this is about bioterrorism and Brazil was just used as a point of transfer," said Castro.

Ibrahim died before his ship sailed to Canada, where it was quarantined by authorities last week.

Canada was alerted about the ship through Interpol.

Castro said Ibrahim had been given the suitcase in Cairo by an unidentified person and was due to deliver it to somebody in Canada. But he doubted Ibrahim knew what the content of the bag was otherwise he most likely would not have opened it.

"He opened it because he was curious," Castro said.

After the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, five people died in still-unsolved anthrax mailings.

[The Great Satan]

Frankly, if the US authorities are saying it's not anthrax, I would be inclined to believe them. That's a pretty unspinnable statement. I could easily see it if a ME drug mule OD-ed somewhere in the world at this particular time and somebody jumped to the wrong conclusions about it. The symptoms described aren't that out of line with a drug overdose, and pathology is not a precise science. Coroners make incredible screw-ups all the time.

[Fred Mertz]

Frankly, if the US authorities are saying it's not anthrax, I would be inclined to believe them.

The guy died two-and-a-half weeks ago. He was infected probably about 3 or 4 weeks ago, at the high point of the war. Think man.

[The Great Satan]

The thing is, yeah, now would be the "right time" for somebody to get killed with anthrax -- but it would also be the right time for somebody to jump the gun on such an idea. I also find it a priori a bit unlikely that our first and only indication of an anthrax attack would be some courier snuffing it. I think it's much more likely that the first sign would be the intended victims dropping like flies. That, the lack of follow up, the lack of any apparent concern on the part of the US authorities, and what appears to an un-spinnable denial that the case really involves anthrax lead me to be highly skeptical that we are looking at a real case of bioterrorism here.

[The Great Satan]

What evidence could the US possibly have that the Brazilians don't have that would lead them to that conclusion?

Maybe they did a blood culture. Do we have any reports at all, let alone firm reports, that the Brazilian pathologist found bacillus anthracis in this guy's body? From what I've seen, we could very well be talking about a presumptive diagnosis here, and those are far from reliable. Ever been to two different doctors or two different dentists about the same problem? My general experience is that medical diagnosis is about as reliable as stock-market analysis.

[The Great Satan]

Okay, that strengthens the case, certainly. However, it's not unheard of for these local stories to be completely messed up and overblown by the time they reach our eyes and ears, so I'm not going to go into full Omega Man mode just yet.

[The Great Satan]

The long rods are meant to be huge and unmistakeable.

But, if they're so unmistakeable, why were they only "90% certain" the guy died of anthrax? That makes me suspicious right there.

[knak]

but doesn't feel they need to release it because polls show support for the war even without evidence of WMD

You're kidding? That's insane.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Gee, I wonder why it was headed for Canada. /sarcassm

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Right wing Christian militia nutcases. No doubt about it! /sarcasm

You don't know nothin boy! This Egyptian was merely delivering the anthrax to the Right wing Christian militia nutcases in Canada for delivery to their brethren Right wing Christian militia nutcases in the USA. Get with the program. :O)

[Nita Nupress]

Underscore Jim is our resident a-hole. Just ignore him.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Was this guy a redneck??? If so the FBI will be hot on the case.

Put Chief Moose on the case. He has a stellar record tracking down redneck Christian right-wing wackos. Just ask the media.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I wonder if he thought it was drugs and snorted some?

If so, bad move. Darwin award in the mail.

[Shermy]

Implications about drug smuggling? Makes sense. Who would you trust your anthrax to but professionals?

If true, gubmint will use the drug allegations as a supposed "other", although it actually increases the likelihood that there was other smuggling going on.

[knak]

here's another article

Brazilian Police Investigate Alleged Anthrax Death, AFP Reports By Nick Benequista

Rio de Janeiro, April 28 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian police are investigating whether the death of an Egyptian sailor from apparent Anthrax poisoning may be linked to terrorism, Agence France-Presse reported, citing a federal police official.

Ibrahim Saed Ibrahim died on April 11 as his ship was leaving the northern Brazilian port of Trombetas with a load of bauxite destined for Quebec, Canada. The ship has since been quarantined off the Atlantic port of Halifax, the news agency said.

Crewmembers reportedly said Ibrahim went into convulsions a day after opening luggage he was planning to deliver to someone in Canada. A preliminary coroner report showed anthrax poisoning as a possible cause of death. Samples from the luggage have been sent to a lab in Rio de Janeiro for testing, AFP reported.

``One can associate this with an act of international terrorism,'' AFP quoted police official Neder Duarte as saying. ``But up to now there is nothing concrete.''

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

["There is absolutely no criminal or terrorist threat to Canada," Royal Canadian Mounted Police (search) Inspector Dan Tanner said from Halifax, Nova Scotia]

Well, Duh! This guy is right up there with Chief Moose.