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Politics : The Donkey's Inn

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To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (1188)11/27/2001 1:49:23 PM
From: Patricia Trinchero  Read Replies (2) of 15516
 
Karen,

Medicine plays the odds and uses statistics to evaluate problems.

"Only 18 cases of natural inhalation anthrax have been recorded in the last 100 years, "

The above statement gives numbers that illustrate the high probability that the act of infecting the woman was criminal vs. natural. Combined with the recent attacks that were perpetrated by using the postal system, the most likely source of the infection was criminal.

Criminality is the most likely cause, however, one cannot rule out a natural infection. But, the likelihood of it's source as natural is remote. Her chances of picking it up via a natural infection are far less than winning the lottery. Think of how many people have had respiratory infections over the last 100 years and think that only 18 in the pool had anthrax................very small odds.

In both routes of infection, her weakened immune system probably would play a role in her death. The question is how did she come into contact with the spores. It appears that the same serotype of bacteria was present in her infection and the other cases of inhalation Anthrax diagnosed around the country.
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