Posted on 10/11/2001 6:10:53 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
NewsMax.com: Article ArchivesNewsMax.com
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001 12:23 a.m. EDT
Frist: Anthrax Attack Could Kill 2 Million
Tennessee Republican Bill Frist, the only physician in the U.S. Senate, warned Wednesday that the kind of airborne anthrax attack contemplated by Twin Towers terrorist ringleader Mohamed Atta is not only feasable -- it could kill up to 2 million people if executed over Washington, D.C.
"Once you get a little bit, you can grow it," Frist told CNBC's Chris Matthews. "In a few days or a few weeks you can take that little bitty bit [of anthrax] and you can have a big batch of it, 100 kilograms of it in just, really, about two or three weeks."
The Tennessee senator estimated that 30 or 40 U.S. academic institutions are currently storing anthrax for research purposes.
An anthrax sample could be grown in a 15-square-foot room with about $100,000 of equipment, Frist said.
The doctor-turned-politician noted that a single ounce of anthrax, once airborne, killed 68 people in the former Soviet Union in 1979.
Frist told Matthews that weaponizing anthrax would not be difficult.
"People say, do we have the technology to deliver it? And all this about the crop dusters. Well, it's not that hard to deliver," Frist said, referring to Atta's plan to use crop dusters to spread anthrax over U.S. population centers. "Sure it could be done."
"[This was] studied in 1993," Frist told Matthews.
"There was the effect of taking about 100 kilograms, which is about a little over 200 pounds -- what it would take to fertilize about a couple of acres -- and if you took it out and you dropped it over a place like Washington, D.C. -- and this is from a 1993 study by the Office of Science and Technology -- anywhere from 100,000 people to 2 million people would die."
Frist said that he thought the anthrax outbreak at the Florida headquarters of the supermarket tabloid firm American Media Inc. was an "isolated incident" that was unconnected to Atta or other terrorists sent to the U.S. by Osama bin Laden.
Atta took flying lessons and inquired about renting crop dusters just miles from AMI's Boca Raton offices.
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
War on Terrorism
Bioterrorism
Health IssuesA product that might interest you:
Through the Eyes of the Enemy
For Education And Discussion Only. Not For Commercial Use.
Do you specialists every get irritated when non-specialized MDs feel they have the authority to speak on matters dealing in your specialty?
Agreed, but with the non-citizens out of the country, it will be much easier to monitor questionable recent shake-&-bake citizens who fit the profile.
Now the question is, who's wrong?
The CDC also classifies gunshot wounds as a disease. Believe everything they say (Do I need a sarcasm here?).
What is anthrax?Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic lower vertebrates (cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores), but it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals or tissue from infected animals. Why has anthrax become a current issue?Because anthrax is considered to be a potential agent for use in biological warfare, the Department of Defense (DoD) has begun mandatory vaccination of all active duty military personnel who might be involved in conflict. How common is anthrax and who can get it?Anthrax is most common in agricultural regions where it occurs in animals. These include South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. When anthrax affects humans, it is usually due to an occupational exposure to infected animals or their products. Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products from other countries where anthrax is more common may become infected with B. anthracis (industrial anthrax). Anthrax in wild livestock has occurred in the United States. How is anthrax transmitted?Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and gastrointestinal. B. anthracis spores can live in the soil for many years, and humans can become infected with anthrax by handling products from infected animals or by inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated animal products. Anthrax can also be spread by eating undercooked meat from infected animals. It is rare to find infected animals in the United States. What are the symptoms of anthrax?Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but symptoms usually occur within 7 days. Cutaneous: Most (about 95%) anthrax infections occur when the bacterium enters a cut or abrasion on the skin, such as when handling contaminated wool, hides, leather or hair products (especially goat hair) of infected animals. Skin infection begins as a raised itchy bump that resembles an insect bite but within 1-2 days develops into a vesicle and then a painless ulcer, usually 1-3 cm in diameter, with a characteristic black necrotic (dying) area in the center. Lymph glands in the adjacent area may swell. About 20% of untreated cases of cutaneous anthrax will result in death. Deaths are rare with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Inhalation: Initial symptoms may resemble a common cold. After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation anthrax is usually fatal. Intestinal: The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated meat and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, fever are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea. Intestinal anthrax results in death in 25% to 60% of cases. Where is anthrax usually found?Anthrax can be found globally. It is more common in developing countries or countries without veterinary public health programs. Certain regions of the world (South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East) report more anthrax in animals than others. Can anthrax be spread from person-to-person?Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely to occur. Communicability is not a concern in managing or visiting with patients with inhalational anthrax. Is there a way to prevent infection?In countries where anthrax is common and vaccination levels of animal herds are low, humans should avoid contact with livestock and animal products and avoid eating meat that has not been properly slaughtered and cooked. Also, an anthrax vaccine has been licensed for use in humans. The vaccine is reported to be 93% effective in protecting against anthrax. What is the anthrax vaccine?The anthrax vaccine is manufactured and distributed by BioPort, Corporation, Lansing, Michigan. The vaccine is a cell-free filtrate vaccine, which means it contains no dead or live bacteria in the preparation. The final product contains no more than 2.4 mg of aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant. Anthrax vaccines intended for animals should not be used in humans. Who should get vaccinated against anthrax?The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommend anthrax vaccination for the following groups:
The anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program in the U.S. Army Surgeon General's Office can be reached at 1-877-GETVACC (1-877-438-8222). http://www.anthrax.osd.mil Pregnant women should be vaccinated only if absolutely necessary. What is the protocol for anthrax vaccination?The immunization consists of three subcutaneous injections given 2 weeks apart followed by three additional subcutaneous injections given at 6, 12, and 18 months. Annual booster injections of the vaccine are recommended thereafter. Are there adverse reactions to the anthrax vaccine?Mild local reactions occur in 30% of recipients and consist of slight tenderness and redness at the injection site. Severe local reactions are infrequent and consist of extensive swelling of the forearm in addition to the local reaction. Systemic reactions occur in fewer than 0.2% of recipients. How is anthrax diagnosed?Anthrax is diagnosed by isolating B. anthracis from the blood, skin lesions, or respiratory secretions or by measuring specific antibodies in the blood of persons with suspected cases. Is there a treatment for anthrax?Doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics. To be effective, treatment should be initiated early. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal. Where can I get more information about the recent Department of Defense decision to require men and women in the Armed Services to be vaccinated against anthrax?The Department of Defense recommends that servicemen and women contact their chain of command on questions about the vaccine and its distribution. The anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program in the U.S. Army Surgeon General's Office can be reached at 1-877-GETVACC (1-877-438-8222). http://www.anthrax.osd.mil |
Guess we have to wait until the government sees a clear and ready threat, a preponderance of evidence if you will. Most likely they are hoping to stem the tide of terrorism without having to move to more draconian tactics, so we will probably need to suffer another attack before we see further movement on this front.
Definitely. Even if a crop duster could be used, a judgement I don't think Frist is qualified to make, weather conditions, including winds and humidity, are critical variables which could render the whole effort a failure.
FWIW, many of us were never deceived. We knew from Day One that AIDS was a disease spread by promiscuity and septic sexual practices. The active gay lifestyle is a vector that happens to satsify both criteria perfectly. If you were deceived, it was because you wanted to be.
Unlike AIDS, anthrax threatens all people without reference to sexual practices.
Sole Source of Anthrax Vaccine Isn't a Source at All
NewsMax is not the most reliable source, but there are so many other credible sources on the above thread that I believe any effort to get this questionable production facility going again, in order to innoculate the general public, is more dangerous than an Anthrax attack itself.
Sometimes. Usually we just snort at their ineptitude. I especially loathe the left-wing, granola types that are Medical correspondents for CNN and the networks. They're Harvard trained pretty boys who've never had people bleed to death in their arms, had to tell a 35 year old that he had six months to live or treated polio in the third world.
Yeah, right, citizen. The Kool-Aid is on the table in the pink tent.
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