More On D.C.'s Biohazard Detection

A reader commented on "D.C. Biohazard Sensors Triggered:"

I know of at least 2 dozen people who were at the protest who are now sick with respiratory illnesses. In fact- I haven't talked to a person yet who was there who isn't becoming sick.

Our county's health department head hadn't heard of anything- ½ hour later, he returned our call & told us to see our doctor immediately.

He said that he is supposed to be notified of any biohazard- yet until this morning when he called the CDC- he had heard nothing. The CDC did confirm. They also reported that there were over 1500 reported suspect cases waiting for official diagnosis.

This is much different than what the main stream media is reporting. Reuters reports "public health agencies had no reports of any related human or animal illnesses caused by the bacteria."

The Washington Post, in its second article on the biohazard detection in two days, reports "a week after six bioterrorism sensors detected the presence of a dangerous bacterium on the Mall, health officials said there are no reports that any of the thousands of people in the nation's capital Sept. 24 have tularemia, the illness that results from exposure to the bacteria."

It's very possible that the tularemia detected by D.C.'s BioWatch sensors was a natural event. In 1999-2000 a large outbreak of tularemia occurred in Kosovo was attributed to environmental circumstances. In 2000 a widespread outbreak of tularemia in Sweden was blamed on mosquitos.

It is also possible that the tularemia bacteria detected in D.C. is a strain of the bacteria that does not affect humans. According to the Post, a similar incident occurred in Houston in October 2003, when two air sensors detected fragments of tularemia bacteria. No human cases of tularemia reported after that incident.

Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever is a concern because several countries, including the U.S. and Russia, have weaponized the bacterium.

We will have to wait and see if there is any confirmation of the "1500 reported suspect cases waiting for official diagnosis." In the meantime, if you were on the National Mall September 24 or 25, see a doctor if you have symptoms of the disease, which include: sudden fever, chills, headaches, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough and progressive weakness. For more information you can see the Center for Disease Control's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Tularemia.

Linked to Euphoric Reality's Drop Zone - 10/01/05, Jo's Cafe's Sundays Specials, Outside the Beltway's Beltway Sunday Drive, and Wizbang's Carnival of the Trackbacks XXXI

Comments

[California Yankee]

Dave, Thanks! The link has been disabled.

[Dave Schuler]

The tularemia link is broken.