Topic 61 of 96: bioterrorism
Tue, Oct 16, 2001 (22:17) |
Paul Terry Walhus (terry)
Bioterrorism is definitely front and center this week with the anthrax attacks on NBC and CBS. Where will it go from here?
9 responses total.
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 1 of 9: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Tue, Oct 16, 2001 (22:19) * 26 lines
For reference, the top 15 leading causes of death in the United States
for the year 2000 (estimate, per 100,000)
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr49/nvsr49_12.pdf
[warning, 1.7 MB file]
1. Disease of the heart: 257.9
2. Malignant neoplasms: 200.5
3. Cerebrovascular diseases: 60.3
4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 44.9
5. Accidents: 34.0
6. Diabetes mellitus: 24.9
7. Influenza and pneumonia: 24.3
8. Alzhiemer's: 17.8
9. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 13.7
10. Septicemia: 11.5
11. Suicide: 10.3
12. Chronic liver disease: 9.5
13. Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease: 6.5
14. Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids: 6.1
15. Assault (homicide): 5.9 *
The thousands of deaths in the WTC may push up the Assault category next
year and anthrax is a long, long way off from being a major cause of
death, is easily curable and not contagious.
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 2 of 9: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Sat, Oct 27, 2001 (08:29) * 3 lines
http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/lessons.html
Anthrax is a mild diversion compared to this.
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 3 of 9: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Thu, Nov 15, 2001 (19:43) * 31 lines
More interesting news:
Evidence suggests al Qaeda pursuit of biological, chemical weapons
From Mike Boettcher
CNN
(CNN) -- Coalition intelligence agencies say they have discovered
evidence of transactions involving sophisticated laboratory equipment,
along with a new bioterrorism manual distributed to cells of the al
Qaeda terrorist network.
The extent of al Qaeda's operational knowledge was once contained in
the 10-volume Encyclopedia of Afghan Resistance, which has been the
template for actual and planned terrorism attacks against a variety of
targets worldwide. (View pages from the manuals)
But now Western intelligence agencies are analyzing a new volume
distributed on an unknown number of CD-ROMs. It contains precise,
deadly formulas for chemical and biological weapons that can be made
from ingredients readily available to the public, CNN has learned.
In a chapter called Science of Explosives, for example, chemical
formulas are followed by step-by-step instructions in the manufacture
of deadly biological weapons. Another chapter is called "The Poisonous
Letter."
http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/11/14/chemical.bio/index.html
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 4 of 9: Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Nov 16, 2001 (20:38) * 1 lines
i think it's very important that we not panic. we have to put this anthrax thing into perspective--it's not "The Stand" happening here. is it a reality, yes, but so is walking out your front door and getting run over on your way to work.
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 5 of 9: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Thu, Nov 29, 2001 (20:59) * 27 lines
If bioterrorism weren't enough, there is always poverty and disease.
Ebola-like Virus on Pakistan Border
Doctors fear refugees may spark lethal epidemic
Rory McCarthy in Islamabad Friday October 5, 2001 The Guardian
A highly contagious disease which leaves its victims bleeding to death is
sweeping through Pakistan's western border and has already claimed at
least eight lives, doctors said last night. In the past four months more than
60 people have been infected by Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a
lethal virus similar to Ebola.
The outbreak in the deserts of the western province of Baluchistan appears
to be the world's largest and doctors fear it could quickly reach epidemic
proportions.
...
Animal infection is much more common but the disease is deadly in
humans. The virus incubates for up to nine days and once it has set in it
kills a third of its victims within two weeks. "The symptoms are nosebleeds,
bleeding from the rectum, even through the skin," Dr Mohammed said.
Patients frequently suffer hepatitis and then liver and kidney failure.
full story at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,563685,00.html
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 6 of 9: Wolf (wolf) * Thu, Nov 29, 2001 (22:15) * 1 lines
heard today that a famed microbiologist (one who studied viruses like e boli) has been missing for a while and they thought he might have leapt to his death. now they're thinking he's being used in this new threat.
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 7 of 9: Marcia (MarciaH) * Thu, Nov 29, 2001 (23:58) * 1 lines
I think I will not come here often. It is easy to be paranoid about stuff like this!!
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 8 of 9: Wolf (wolf) * Fri, Nov 30, 2001 (19:09) * 1 lines
inded it is!
Topic 61 of 96 [news]: bioterrorism
Response 9 of 9: Paul Terry Walhus (terry) * Wed, Jan 2, 2002 (22:34) * 25 lines
Xena is my savior. (mirmir) Wed Jan 2 '02 (15:22) 33 lines
wow, here is another urban terrorist vulnerability i hadnt heard of
before. and the fires around sydney australia, more than half thought
to be started by arsonists, have made the point very clear that
whatever can be used as an anonymous weapon against one's neighbors,
will be used.
1 January 2002. Thanks to DE.
Wall Street Journal, December 28, 2001
'Backflow' water-line attack feared
Terrorists could reverse flow in system to introduce toxins
By Yochi J. Dreazen
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Dec. 27 - In St. Petersburg, Fla., water authorities are keeping a closer eye on system-wide water pressure. In Cleveland, officials are weighing whether to add more chlorine to their water so larger amounts of the chemical will linger in their pipes. In Portland, Ore., alarms are now triggered by smaller drops in water pressure than in the past.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, water utility officials are taking steps to prevent terrorists from reversing the flow of water into a home or business - which can be accomplished with a vacuum cleaner or bicycle pump - and using the resulting "backflow" to push poisons into a local water-distribution system.
Such an attack would use utility pipes for the opposite of their intended purpose: Instead of carrying water out of a tap, the pipes would spread toxins to nearby homes or businesses.
Water utility officials say the backflow threat dominates their post-Sept. 11 discussions with law-enforcement personnel. Although utilities have posted extra guards to patrol reservoirs and treatment plants, officials say the biggest threat to the nation's water supply may be from the pipes that carry the water, not facilities that store or purify it.
continued at http://cryptome.org/backflow-panic.htm
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