Posted on 10/21/2001 10:34:13 AM PDT by 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.
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
"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.
News/Current Events
Source: snopes.com
Published: Oct 20 Author: Snopes.com
Posted on 10/20/01 6:26 PM Eastern by earaiak
No kneejerking allowed. So far it hasn't been unsubstantiated. Check out the snopes site for more info: The Candy Man
I am not an alarmist, and don't believe there is any significant threat to us on Hallowe'en. Most of the dithering and nail-biting is due to hysteria, and kids and parents should feel safe to go trick-or-treating.
Having said that, I'd like to suggest a way to help ease parents' fears on Hallowe'en, and I'd like your opinion of this (this is only for you hysterical types who would otherwise NOT let your kids go trick-or-treating):
Send your kids out with enough baggies for the number of houses you think they'll visit. 100 houses? 100 baggies. They're cheap. Pre-tag each baggie with a sticker.
Instruct your kids NOT to let people put candy in their large bag or pail. INSTEAD, the kids should collect the candy by hand, place it in a baggie, and mark the house number on the sticker. The kids or parents should do this in view of the homeowner, calling out the house number.
Many parents follow their kids from door to door, so the parents can do this themselves. Now you will know which house gave you what candy, and any miscreant (there are extremely few of these, by the way) giving out tainted candy will be a bit alarmed to see their candy tagged, and nervous parents will feel better.
I'm worried, but believe me...I'm not hiding under the bed. Yet. LOL.
This is just the kind of hysteria I'm referring to. I take it you play the lottery?
Your accuracy rate remains unchallenged.
Yes, I just damned you with faint praise, Chicken Big.
Go to: http://www.medicinegarden.com
Read about Homeopathic remedies for bios. That site is worth investigating. Keep an open mind, as a person of science.
I also have the website of a place in the U. K. that has over 3,000 remedies, including the ones mentioned at medicinegarden.com. to be used in case of bio attacks.
If you home school, good for you! I teach in a public elementary school, and I am highly concerned that our children, youth, college-aged students will be under attack.
Also Hahnemann Pharmacy in Albany, CA has a home kit of remedies for about $120.00.
God bless!
My conclusions of this extensive investigation, from a Christian Physician's perspective, were summarized in this editorial I wrote, published in a national Catholic weekly newspaper.
Please read it with an open mind, and most importantly, an open heart.
He remembers it because of the way I was vaccinated. I was vaccinated with a needle and not the with the stick method (which leaves the scar, I don't have a scar) I was given a in-activated (dead from) of the smallpox vaccine.
The doctor asked my father and offered to give me a smallpox vaccine. He said sure. (which I am very happy about) Also, he told be I was one of the last to be vaccinated because the doctor mentioned he was going to get rid of his supply of the smallpox vaccine shortly after I got vaccinated.
I hope this clears up some questions.
I suppose killing our little girls would be okay then.
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