WP: Test Results Delayed Bacterium Alert, CDC Says (DC protest)

[Pirate Smile]

Test Results Delayed Bacterium Alert, CDC Says

By Susan Levine and Sari Horwitz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 5, 2005; Page B04

Area health officials were not notified for five days that sensors on the Mall had detected a potentially dangerous bacterium there last month because subsequent tests were not conclusively positive, a federal official said yesterday.

The Department of Homeland Security delayed in alerting the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the same reason, said Richard Besser, who directs the CDC's coordinating office for terrorism preparedness and emergency response. More than half a dozen sensors detected tularemia bacteria the morning after thousands of people gathered on the Mall for a book festival and antiwar rally, yet the CDC was not contacted for at least 72 hours.

Testing never identified all the definitive markers for which scientists were looking, and officials were wary of issuing a false alarm, Besser said. He called the entire incident "highly unusual," but he acknowledged that it would prompt the two agencies to review their protocol and the timeliness of their response "to make sure the system doesn't have any flaws in it."

"It really will cause us to look at the system and say, 'Should things have been different?' " Besser said in a phone interview.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100401544.html

[intheflow]

1. "He called the entire incident 'highly unusual'... "

Yeah, they waited 72 hours before telling us inconclusive evidence was a problem? :eyes:

Nominated to quell the panic.

[TomInTib]

2. Feel safer yet?

This should go large.
Especially considering the present climate.

DHS is more inept than even we here can imagine.

3 days to alert CDC? 5 days for the locals?

Remember the old "in case of... kiss your ass goodbye" posters in the 60's?

[Mnemosyne]

14. For this bunch it's more

that one with the head up the ass.

[stlsaxman]

3. ..and so what symptoms should I be looking for?

damn.



damn them.



just- damn them!

[TechBear_Seattle]

11. Wikipedia is your friend

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tularemia

It is also known as "rabbit fever" and is endemic to North America. Symptoms are flu-like, usually developing between three and five days after exposure. Symptoms may develop as quickly as one day or as late as 14 days after exposure. No vaccine, but highly treatable with antibiotics.

Given the group assembled for the protest, it is possible -- I would dare say likely -- that the bacterium was not a part of a conspiracy but the result of improperty tanned rabbit skin clothing brought by the protesters, or the result of someone(s) with a mild case from unsurprising sources. I've had many "back to the earth" friends who raised rabbits for food and who tan the skins to make gloves, hats, etc. Maybe someone brought a pet rabbit with the illness or had it themselves from livestock or pet. Then again, such cases would probably not be in a form detectable by a biohazard warning system.

[kestrel91316]

FYI, tularemia is a disease of rabbits in the wild, not

domestic rabbits kept as pets or livestock.

Yes, I am a veterinarian.

[TechBear_Seattle]

16. Tularemia is transmitted mainly by ticks and fleas

It is not a stretch for it to spread to domestic livestock, any more than it is a stretch for it to be transmitted to humans. Since "natural" transmission to humans is well documented fact, it seems reasonable that transmission to livestock is equally fact. And I speak as someone who has kept pet rabbits (animal companions, not food :hi: )

I'm just saying that, on second glance, there is a non-conspiracy explanation. Let me grasp what straws I can, if you don't mind.

[kestrel91316]

19. Certainly tularemia COULD be contracted by domestic rabbits, but

in the real world it just isn't the sort of thing that is happening. It used to be most tularemia was acquired by humans in the course of hunting (wild)rabbits and butchering them, but that is much less common a pastime these days, so it turns out that the majority of cases are now acquired via arthropod bites. Aerosol transmission is rare.

[Buck Turgidson]

25. Rabbit skin is popoular with fisherman for tying flies and streamers

This one is called the "Bunny Fly".

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. An important question: when else was there apparently false readings?

Could it be an actual coincidence that the detection of a bacterium used in germ warfare (why else detect for it?) would be made the very morning of a major anti-war rally? It would have been very easy to unleash just enough to set off the detectors and give a "they support terrorism" excuse to force the whole thing down the drain. Apparently, the Administration underestimated the dose needed for an unequivocable positive reading, or else used some that could be traced back to US government labs and thus was forced to wait until the detected bacteria had all died and could no longer be cultured for identification before releasing the info.

Or am I just grown overly paranoid about Fearless Leader?


Edit I'm backtracking a bit on the conspiracy angle, reasons here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1827497&mesg_id=1827545

[Corgigal]

8. found an article you might be interested in

Did Bush administration attack peace movement with military grade biological bacteria?
October 4, 2005

What do we make of the Saturday, October 1 Washington Post headline “Poison Found in Air During Anti-War Protest”?

Washington D.C. Public Health Director Greg A. Pane posed the right question in the Post article, “Why that day? That’s what is not explained.” Pane pointed that it was “just this 24-hour period and none since.”

The Post noted that Pane found “. . . it was puzzling that the finding was from a day when the mall was packed with people.”
Puzzling? Indeed. Biohazard sensors detected tularemia bacteria at the mall on Saturday, September 24.

http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2005/1221

[KoKo]

9. Seems suspicious they would purposely release it on Laura Bush's Book

Fair which was going on at same time as Peace March. Also wasn't World Bank or IMF having a meeting in DC at the same time?

I thought it was a "planted article" to scare off those who might think about planning another Peace March in the future.

If someone tried to do this then I imagine they released just a "little" near the detector so as not to disturb the First Lady's extravaganza.

Unless Georgie is planning on deep sixing Laura to have a full blown relationship with Condi...it just wouldn't make sense to me that they would take a chance at releasing a bacteria that could have grave consequences for folks who were on the Mall that day. :shrug:

[Corgigal]

10. Laura wasn't there

[Catchawave]

28. She was at the Library of Congress Friday night

for a book festival kick-off reception for the authors. I asked a valet what was going on when I noticed all the "beautiful" people arriving in fancy cars piling into a "library". She was kicking off the festival that night. So I know she was in town the night before. Where was she Sat/Sun? In the White House? Camp David? This inquiring mind wants to know :silly:

Between the book festival, protest and the NYMets in town, ALOT of visitors to the capitol that weekend! Why isn't this a national story?? Just saying....people need to be aware of the symptoms...?

[montana_hazeleyes]

20. The last part

is just toooo funny!:rofl:

[intheflow]

27. Since it's easily treatable by anti-biotics,

Laura's slight exposure would be no problem for * or the administration/FBI/CIA/whoever might have released it with Rove's knowledge and blessing.

[mod mom]

29. You are wrong about Condi, it's the bald headed men like Gukert who really

catch his eye as demonstrated in the numerous photos of * rubbing bald heads.

[TexasLawyer]

13. You can't be too paranoid these days

[BrightKnight]

24. Information Gathering and Intimidation

Could this be used to justify and facilitate the compilation of a list of people attending this event?

Would discussing possible health risks with my doctor put my name on a list? The partisan hacks at Homeland Security don't need my name.

-------

Intimidation tactics only succeed in pissing me off.

[Corgigal]

5. Govt doesn't give a shit

All the "important" asshole were out of town.

Dicks.

[electron_blue]

6. be careful what you fear - it may be the goal is just to make you afraid

to protest again. Suppose this is all just a scam - there never was tularemia, or none used on the crowd, just enough doubt to scare them from ever coming back?

[Kailassa]

22. B*s* misunderestimates us ;-)

Anyone who feels, as I do, that this implies a threat to future marches is even more likely to march again. But marchers might be using face-masks and watching their symptoms carefully next time. Modern medicine is pretty good, and combine that with doing your utmost to keeping your immune system rubust, and you can beat almost anything.

But the repugs will sure be scared to show their faces next time. :applause:

[daleo]

7. The whole thing gets curiouser and curiouser

At first I discounted it, but it does give one the feeling some game was afoot.

[rodriguez94]

12. so, are there any "confirmed" cases. or was everyones

illness mere coincidence? A local doctor didn't have immediate access to the required "testing" I guess..we had 2 people sick last week that were with us in DC, but neither have been confired "fascist flue" as I have deemed it..lol

[The Magistrate]

15. No, Ma'am, There Are No Confirmed Cases

And there will not be any, because it is vanishingly unlikely there was any real exposure.

What the lack of definite positive readings means is that the amounts involved were mere traces, at the very lowest end of the capability of the testing regime to detect anything.

[rodriguez94]

17. Thanks..I knew thought the incubation period was up

tomorrow, but now I can sleep good tonight..lol..

thanks again!

[intheflow]

18. And just like with WMD, they coerced the CDC into releasing an alert

in spite of the fact that, to quote the article, "Testing never identified all the definitive markers for which scientists were looking." If all the markers weren't identified, there's nothing there, imo. Just like poking around in Nigeria may not end with conclusive proof of Iraq's WMD. Who cares? Release the informaton anyway to discourage protest and distract from the real issues at hand.

When you get together with 500,000 of your closest friends, some colds are bound to be passed around. That's what I think the mysterious illnesses are. Not rabbit bacteria.

[meganmonkey]

26. A lot of people (incl. me) came back with a cold - if we had tularemia

we would know it - it has a swift and severe onset of symptoms, according to a close friend who is a doctor.

There are no confirmed cases.

[skids]

21. Boy the pot smoke sure screws up those sensors n/t

:evilgrin:

[Kailassa]

23. But wasn't that steam,

not smoke, coming from the repug portapots?

[maddezmom]

30. kick

[marions ghost]

31. "Test Results Cited in Delay of Mall Alert" (Tularemia)

"Test Results Cited in Delay of Mall Alert"
CDC Explains Why Local Officials Weren't Told for Days About Bacterium Detection

By Susan Levine and Sari Horwitz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 5, 2005

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100401544.html

Area health officials were not notified for five days that sensors on the Mall had detected a potentially dangerous bacterium there last month because subsequent tests were not conclusively positive, a federal official said yesterday.

The Department of Homeland Security delayed in alerting the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the same reason, said Richard Besser, who directs the CDC's coordinating office for terrorism preparedness and emergency response. More than half a dozen sensors showed the presence of tularemia bacteria the morning after thousands of people gathered on the Mall for a book festival and antiwar rally, yet the CDC was not contacted for at least 72 hours.

Testing never identified all the definitive markers for which scientists were looking, and officials were wary of issuing a false alarm, Besser said. He called the entire incident "highly unusual," but he acknowledged that it would prompt the two agencies to review their protocol and the timeliness of their response "to make sure the system doesn't have any flaws in it."

(snip)

Besser said that if the initial evaluation had revealed true positives, the laboratory would have immediately contacted Homeland Security, which would have immediately brought CDC and local health agencies into the discussion. Instead, as late as Thursday, CDC officials expected final testing to disprove the presence of the bacteria. "So we didn't really think there was a need to alert public health officials," he said.

[In_The_Wind]

32. I called the CDC on Monday.

We talked for quite a while about Tularemia because so many DUers who went to DC are sick at this time.

The CDC Doctor said anyone affected would have gotten very sick the same day as the exposure.

[marions ghost]

33. That's interesting

I hadn't heard that it's a quick onset kind of thing. Thanks.

[In_The_Wind]

35. That was the only factor which was inconsistent with my symptoms.

Everything else matched. I am on day 9 of having this darned flu.

The CDC also said that "Without treatment anyone having it will get much sicker very fast."

[5X]

40. Its not that quick of an onset,

incubation is more like 3-7 days according to
articles I have read.

[seriousstan]

34. Did you also mention that many are tinfoil paranoid hypochondriacs

:evilgrin:

[In_The_Wind]

36. Shall I drive over there and sneeze on you.

[seriousstan]

37. No thanks, I have a co=worker covering that job for the past 3 days.

Get well.

[In_The_Wind]

39. thanks

[sharonking21]

45. CDC doctor is wrong

Sorry, there are almost no infectious diseases that have an incubation period that short and the only ones I can think of off the top of my head are those that immediately produce toxins--in those cases (like food poisoning) it is the toxin that makes you ill. Tularemia is variously cited as having a 2-10 or 3-7 day incubation period.

[Rose Siding]

38. marions ghost, please edit your post.

The published title (per posting rules for this forum) is: "Test Results Cited in Delay of Mall Alert".

Also, the link is broken. You can open this link, and copy from the open page.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100401544.html

Thank you.

[marions ghost]

44. oops

OK, thanks :)

[5X]

41. Link to cdc faq about tularemia

<http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/tularemia/faq.asp>

[ClintonTyree]

42. Homeland Security....what a freaking joke.

FEMA is part of Homeland Security as well. They've utterly failed every test so far, if indeed they WERE failures and not deliberately ignored. THAT'S what really worries me about Homeland Security, who are they protecting?

[sharonking21]

43. This doesn't exactly make me

confident in their procedures. It sounds as if the testing lab checking the sensors decided on their own to not notify Homeland Security or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I cannot imagine why they did not bring CDC in the very second they registered any kind of 'positive'--"true" or "false." I'm an ex-epidemiologist and I would bet you anything CDC is livid over this--if the account is correct.

And I thought that CDC had checked the sensor lab findings and found "true" positives--did they not? Further, in a real bio-terror attack, you might expect the bug to be genetically altered and thus to present a strange lab profile. This whole episode is utterly nuts. Yes, those sensors are overly sensitive and sometimes you get results that are not reliable or results that represent low-level presence of the bug in the environment--but the whole damn idea is to alert people like CDC immediately so they can do their thing and find out exactly what the results represent.

I had trouble using your url so here is another one.

http://tinyurl.com/8r9u4

[marions ghost]

46. What U say...

"this whole episode is utterly nuts" is about what I thought too. Since you're a scientist head and I am not particularly, this is validating at least, in what seems to be a sea of confusion. It struck me as strange also that the lab did not go directly to CDC. At this point I sincerely want to think that it a case of miscommunications rather than hopelessly byzantine procedures. The WaPo article is very confusing. My thing is communications/media and I think that is one weirdly written story...although it DOES seem to be sending the strong message of "false alarm/no Tularemia." Agreed, this bio-scare does not increase confidence about procedures for any kind of mass epidemic, terrorist or otherwise. Why should we have to worry so much about 'spin' in cases of public health threats?!? Coming on the heels of Katrina...ya can't help but draw parallels to FEMA response. When bureaucracy gets in the way of any disaster response, we have BIG problems.

[sharonking21]

47. This whole story is incomplete

and I sure would like to have a comprehensive rundown on exactly what happened when. I used to be on the bioterorism planning team for my state and I know we would have expected to be informed if those sensors went off. But, on the other hand, it may be some kind of bureaucratic snafu--if so it needs to be quickly corrected.

One example of such a thing that might happen--if we have a real bio-terror attack, the lead agency will be the FBI (unless things have changed since I was on the planning team). That means that priority would tend to be given to criminal matters rather than public health matters--a situation we found to be somewhat alarming. I'd rather CDC be the lead agency.

[Dunvegan]

48. CDC Says "Would Be Sick Immediately"..? Makes sense...

...if you factor in the 2-3 day delay in reporting the air sensor data.

In other words, by the time the air sensor data was reported...you would be in the early onset (3 days) phase of tularemia.

And, inhalation forms of bacteria (i.e., anthrax, tularemia, etc.) are more likely to cause early onset symptoms.

[marions ghost]

49. OK that makes good sense to me

yes, important to factor in the delay.

So how do you think people should be notified, when you have (as typical in testing results) no definitive answer right away. This seems to be the problem to me. Do you go ahead and send out the alert, or just wait for confirming results? I guess there's really no way to stop a certain amount of panic...but it seems there was a lot of confusion and no clear message from the govt agencies.