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Biotech / Medical : Anthrax test from VLPI -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: James Lee Baldwin who wrote (31)	10/23/2001 9:42:32 AM
From: R2O	Respond to of 142

Re consumer tests and false positives. I just heard Podrebarac say (CNBC) that the false alarm rate for this test is about 5% (which he said is about what currently used field tests produce). What does that imply? If VLPI sells the 20K/day production we can expect an additional 1000 reported 'anthrax exposures'/day simply due to false alarms, each of which will require more detailed testing by 'professionals'. I would presume that since a consumer bought the kit they will act on a positive. Sure, some people will simply put the kit on the shelf, but eventually they will be used. My best guess is that a consumer's first purchase kit is used within a week. One week production => about 7K false alarms. This is more than all the 'exposures' reported to date. The same thing applies to the tests that professionals perform. Accepting Podrebarac's 5% rate, 1/20 tests will be positive WITHOUT any anthrax ever being present. Moreover, I would guess that the false alarms would cluster in particular locations (due to common bacterial contamination) so that real exposures and false alarms would be very difficult to separate. So if we test all 280M in US we get 14M 'anthrax exposures' without ANY anthrax actually being present. Since I haven't seen any official specifics wrt test protocols it is very difficult to make any rational conclusion about actual anthrax infestations. I do know that 30-50% of goatskins imported from Haiti are contaminated w. anthrax and that from millenia of human experience w. anthrax infections the type of propagation and infection rates being reported are not characteristic of anthrax.

To: James Lee Baldwin who wrote (31)	10/23/2001 10:39:40 AM
From: mtnres	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 142

MATTHEWS, N.C., Oct 23, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Vital Living Products, Inc. d//b//a// American Water Service (OTC Bulletin Board: VLPI) announced yesterday that taking into account all conversions to date of its convertible debentures, the company currently has approximately 7,310,000 shares of common stock outstanding, and the principal balance remaining of its convertible debentures is approximately $291,000. Vital Living has previously disclosed that it has certain convertible debentures outstanding that are freely convertible into common stock based upon a market price-driven formula. To be placed on the VLPI shareholder e-mail list contact sandy@purtest.com. Shareholders and financial professionals may also contact sandy@purtest.com. About Vital Living Products, Inc. Vital Living Products specializes in environmental testing and treatment products that are sold nationally in over 20,000 locations under the PurTest(R) brand name. Winner of the 2000 Consumer Product Award by the American Quality Institute and Best New Product Award in its category for 2000 by Today's Homeowner, the Company manufactures and distributes PurTest(R), delivering instant results. In addition, Vital Living Products, Inc. provides drinking water systems and water treatment equipment for residential, commercial and industrial use. PurTest(R) water testing kits, recommended by Good Housekeeping Magazine in November of 2000, are available through Ace Hardware, Do It Best, Lowe's, Fred Meyer, Menards, United Hardware, W.W. Grainger, Mid-States Distributors, plus many Home Depot locations.