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Biotech / Medical : Bioterrorism -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Biomaven who wrote (325)	10/22/2001 4:03:54 PM
From: Jibacoa	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 891

Getting rid of the anthrax. The most thorough way to sterilize an affected building is supposed to be by using formaldehyde gas, which is how the British cleaned up Gruinard Island, off the coast of Scotland, after it tested anthrax weapons there in 1942. Of course formaldehyde is toxic and leaves a foul smell for weeks besides corroding electrical appliances. (It reminds me of anatomy dissection classes back several decades ago.<g>)(Also of what happens if you ever stored in a room chlorine products used for pool's water.<g>) EnviroFoam Technologies, of Huntsville, Ala.,has a foam that reportedly is "very effective" in killing anthrax spores within 10 to 60 minutes. Does any body know of other companies that have similar products ? Reportedly NBC has hired CLHB for sterilizing the affected areas at their N.Y. offices. Also companies to take into consideration on this sector besides the ones with decontamination chemicals are those that manufacture the protective suits and masks. Reportedly some of those disposable suits cost around $700 Bernard

To: Biomaven who wrote (325)	10/24/2001 9:38:32 PM
From: John Metcalf	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 891

Peter, I'm remembering your comment about how much e-coli and salmonella is already in ground meat in supermarkets. Since public health efforts in the US against the latter two have devolved into commercials advocating thorough cooking, I wonder what harm bin-Laden intended to be done by introduction of additional bacteria. As Plato told us, cave-dwellers don't have the full picture-:) In addition, if we know that bacteria were purchased in Eastern Europe and Asia from identified labs, can their emergence in the US help us identify the specific source? Perhaps, something bombable? (per your suggestion about the over-use of anti-biotics by farmers....) {from Annanova} "Osama bin Laden has bought anthrax spores and other deadly bacteria, according to one of his followers. Ahmad Ibrahim al-Najjar, has told authorities in Egypt, bin Laden openly bought the bacteria from laboratories in eastern Europe and Asia. Al-Najjar was convicted in Egypt of trying to overthrow the country's government in favour of a fundamentalist Islamic regime, and jailed for life last year. He has become an informer on the activities of al-Qaida. The New York Post, reports translations of his evidence to Egyptian authorities which show the germ warfare purchases. Al-Najjar claimed bin Laden was quite open in his operations, attempting to buy germ warfare agents including anthrax, e-coli, and salmonella. His group ordered the bacteria to be sent by mail, and as long as it paid £5,000 up front to the biological plants selling the agents, the identities of the purchasers were not checked. So-called factories in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in eastern Europe, were used to provide e-coli and salmonella, while a facility in south-east Asia sold the group anthrax."