January 2003

Below is a listing of bioterrorism-related events this month, part of an ongoing bioterrorism chronology that begins with Sep 11, 2001. To see events from other months, go to the Bioterrorism Watch index page.

Jan 31

WHO urges nations to guard against foodborne terrorism
The World Health Organization warns its 192 member states to strengthen their defenses against terrorists who could try to contaminate food with chemical, biological, or radioactive agents. Such an attack could result in people dying, being paralyzed, or contracting serious illnesses such as cancer. In a report titled "Terrorist Threats to Food: Guidance for Establishing and Strengthening Prevention and Response Systems," WHO advises that developing countries with poor food safety management are the most vulnerable to attack. "Threats from terrorists, criminals, and other anti-social groups who target the safety of the food supply are already a reality," WHO says. "Deliberate release of a chemical, biological or radionuclear agent could potentially cause severe harm and pose a huge burden on public health systems." But the agency says it has received no specific threats of any such attack.

FBI agents end anthrax-related search in Maryland woods
The FBI says it has completed its second anthrax-related search in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland. Investigators using scuba divers and video equipment searched three ponds in the steep, forested hills near Frederick. FBI spokeswoman Debra Weierman declines to say whether investigators found what they were looking for. Frederick is the former home of Dr. Steven Hatfill, a biological weapons expert considered "a person of interest" in the anthrax investigation.

Jan 30

Senate leaders agree on need to compensate for smallpox vaccine reactions
Senate leaders agree on the need for legislation to compensate health workers who experience adverse reactions to smallpox vaccinations. Many private health insurance plans would not cover such medical problems because the vaccinations are voluntary. Union leaders representing health workers also say that workers' compensation funds would not provide sufficient coverage for lost wages if a health professional could not work as a result of a vaccine reaction. "We haven't got all of our ducks in a row; that's obvious," says Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Gregg predicts that a new system to handle the compensation problem will be created by merging the current workers' compensation system and a "victim compensation fund."

Marine faces court-martial for refusing anthrax vaccination
Cpl. Anthony Fusco, a Marine based at Camp Pendleton in California, is charged with disobeying a lawful order and faces court-martial and possible prison time for refusing an anthrax vaccination. Fusco, 22, a switchboard operator, tells the San Diego UnionTribune he believes the vaccine is unsafe, on the basis of his Internet research. If convicted, Fusco could spend a year in a military prison and a bad conduct discharge.

Administration says it will show clear evidence of Iraqi violations
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell expects to provide three categories of intelligence suggesting that Iraq is concealing weapons, according to administration officials. The categories pertain to mobile biological weapons labs; purchases of materials for making chemical, biological, and nuclear arms; and ties to terrorist groups. Additionally, two senior State Department officials tell senators that there is "clear evidence" that Iraq is hiding biological and chemical weapons, harassing weapons inspectors, and harboring members of Al Qaida. Powell "is going to be showing some new intelligence and some new information," says Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage. "No one will be able to evade the absolute conclusion about Saddam Hussein's denial, deception, his absolute lack of willingness to show any sign of a disarmament motive in his mind."

Alibek says drug approval system delays bioterrorism countermeasures
The nation's system for testing new drugs is delaying approval of crucial treatments for potential bioterrorism victims, says Dr. Ken Alibek, chief of a biological research program at George Mason University in Virginia. Alibek tells United Press International that some existing drugs could save the lives of victims of anthrax and smallpox, but procedures of the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration are holding up their use for 5 or 6 years. Alibek, who helped lead the Soviet Union's development of bioweapons before defecting to the United States, offers an example of a protein his team developed to fight anthrax infection. Experiments showed that when combined with antibiotics, the protein was 100 percent effective in protecting laboratory animals. Alibek says, "We said to NIH, 'Here is a product. Do you have any fast, accelerated way of organizing production, testing, and so on?' They said, 'No, we don't.'"

Jan 29

Health officials criticize smallpox shot program at Senate hearing
Healthcare professionals testify at a Senate hearing that they have serious doubts about the president's smallpox vaccination plan. Dr. Louis M. Bell, chief of pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says his institution will not immunize its staff. James August, health and safety director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a union representing 350,000 health care workers, asks for a delay and says several of his chapters have advised their nurses against vaccination. Patrick Libbey, director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and Jane Colacecchi, Iowa's public health director, say the government seriously underestimates the program's cost and the magnitude of the difficulties it creates for other important public health programs. The critics' biggest worries involve the potential for vaccinated health workers to suffer side effects or infect their own family members or patients with the vaccinia virus.

FDA will require advance notice of food shipments
The Food and Drug Administration proposes regulations requiring food importers to give at least one day's prior notice of all food shipments coming into the United States. In addition, the agency proposes to require all domestic or foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack, distribute, receive, or hold foods for human or animal consumption in the United States to register with the FDA. Both rules are part of a 2002 law designed to prevent terrorist attacks on the nation's food supply. The FDA says it expects to receive an average of 20,000 import notices daily after the rules take effect in December. The Grocery Manufacturers of America says it will cooperate with the FDA to make certain that the proposed regulations will provide a high level food security without disrupting the food supply. But GMA Vice President of Federal Affairs Susan Stout says, "We will have serious questions regarding the practical implementation of the final rules." The plan will not apply to meat, poultry, or egg imports regulated by the US Department of Agriculture or to food and beverages carried in personal luggage by individual travelers.

Smallpox scenarios are often exaggerated, scientists say
British scientists say politicians and the media are exaggerating the likely consequences of biological or chemical terrorism. Even smallpox or nerve agents would cause far fewer casualties than are often predicted, say experts at a London press briefing. "The smallpox virus is an old plodder, not a sure-footed, fast-moving virus like flu or measles," says John Oxford, smallpox expert and professor of virology at London's Queen Mary's Medical School. He says he does not recognize "the virus I know" in some hypothetical scenarios, in which a smallpox epidemic started by terrorists ends up killing millions. The spread of smallpox requires close physical contact, not just being in the same room with an infected person, he adds. Oxford says nations should stockpile vaccines, but adds, "It would not take much to divert all of us [infectious disease specialists] into anthrax and smallpox when we should be focusing on the grand natural killers such as HIV, TB, and influenza."

Schools plan lockdowns in case of biological or chemical attack
Schools in the Washington, DC, area are implementing a plan to lock down school buildings while teachers decontaminate students in the event of a chemical or biological attack, according to the Washington Post. In a program that recalls the "duck-and-cover" exercises of the 1950s and 1960s, schools will begin drills as early as this fall, say Fairfax school security officials. "We really are going back to a preparedness level that we used to be at," says James McLain, security coordinator for Fairfax schools. School administrators have begun informing parents about the new plan, and many say they would rather have a plan in place than be caught unprepared. The plan is designed to protect students for several hours until hazardous substances are carried off by the wind, says Mark Scott, president of the National Institute for Chemical Studies in Charleston, W. Va., a nonprofit group promoting the program.

University labs increase security to meet new rules
Academic researchers are imposing more rigorous security measures because of concerns about biological weapons, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Beginning Feb 7, new regulations will call for more than 800 US laboratories, including 285 university facilities, to improve security and control access to dangerous pathogens. Laboratories must provide federal officials with details on their inventories of deadly toxins and pathogens, says Stephen Ostroff, deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases. "Every facility is different," says Ostroff. "Every facility may devise different solutions, meeting their security needs, which may work very well in their facility but may not at the facility five miles down the road." Laboratories will develop three levels of security: an outer level, an inner area, and a restricted area.

Police in Trinidad hunt for possible weapons lab
Trinidad police begin searching South Trinidad for a chemical and biological production laboratory that some radical Muslims say they possess. The Trinidad Express newspaper also reports that several companies that import and sell several of the chemicals allegedly used in the lab are reviewing their records in an effort to identify "non-traditional" customers. The investigation grew out of a Sunday Express report in which an unnamed radical group took reporter Darryl Heeralal and photographer Johann Joseph to the secret lab at an unidentified location. Police questioned the journalists, and the search followed.

Bush seeks to guarantee a market for new bioterrorism countermeasures
The Bush administration wants to guarantee that pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will have buyers if they develop vaccines and treatments for potential bioterror threats. The multibillion-dollar proposal "Project BioShield" aims to expand the nation's medical resources for countering deadly agents. Though American scientists have researched new approaches for countering biological and chemical warfare, the private sector resists investing in their development, fearing too small a market. "We want to be able to assure drug companies there will be a market for their product, as opposed to making something that nobody will buy," says Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "This is a way to guarantee there will be a market whether it is used or stockpiled, and perhaps they will make a modest profit." Also under Project BioShield, the FDA would gain authority to approve new drugs and vaccines for emergency use in the event of a terrorist attack, FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan says.

Jan 28

Project Bioshield unveiled, may speed vaccine development
President Bush proposes a $6 billion plan called Project Bioshield to protect the American public from bioterrorism by speeding development of new vaccines and drugs. In his State of the Union Address, he also asks that the Food and Drug Administration be allowed to make experimental drugs available for emergency use. "The budget I send you will propose almost $6 billion to quickly make available effective vaccines and treatments against agents like anthrax, botulinum toxin, Ebola, and plague," Bush says. Currently there is a vaccine against anthrax, although it is not widely used. There once was a vaccine against plague, but the company that made it stopped in 1999. Researchers are currently searching for a vaccine against Ebola, and work is under way to develop antitoxins to counteract the effects of botulinum toxin.

Poll shows smallpox fears increasing
A new USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll shows that Americans are more worried about a smallpox attack by terrorists today than in the weeks following Sep. 11. The national telephone survey indicates that 63% of 1,000 adults polled claim to be "somewhat" or "very" worried about such an attackx, up from 53% in a November 2001 Associated Press poll. Additionally, 53% say hospitals that refuse to take part in President Bush's vaccination program are "doing the right thing," compared with 39% who say it's wrong (8% have no opinion). But in terms of protecting themselves, 53% say they would be vaccinated. Another 44% say they wouldn't risk it. The figures confirm similar surveys that show a majority of Americans want to be vaccinated, says immunologist David Neumann, director of the National Foundation for Infectious diseases.

Proof of Iraq's weapons deception to be made public
The Bush administration claims to hold vital intelligence proving that Iraq has been actively moving and hiding banned weapons and equipment from UN inspectors. The president and his national security advisers plan to declassify and make public some of the information in hopes of gaining more domestic and international support for using military force against Iraq. The administration believes the information gathered by US intelligence agencies from an array of sources and methods shows that senior Iraqi officials and military officers have personally directed the secret activities or have knowledge of the operations. Concealment efforts have often taken place days or hours ahead of visits by UN inspection teams, reports Bob Woodward in a Washington Post article.

Former weapons inspector blasts idea of single-handed US invasion of Iraq
Former UN weapons inspector Richard Butler tells a conservative Australian think-tank, the Sydney Institute, that Washington is endorsing "shocking double standards" if it single-handedly takes military action against Iraq. Butler says Saddam Hussein undoubtedly possesses weapons of mass destruction and is trying to "cheat" his way out of UN demands to disarm. But a US attack without UN backing and with no effort to curb global proliferation of such weapons would breach international law and sharpen the divide between Arabs and the West, he says. "The spectacle of the United States, armed with its weapons of mass destruction, acting without Security Council authority to invade a country in the heartland of Arabia and, if necessary, use its weapons of mass destruction to win the battle, is something that will so deeply violate any notion of fairness in this world that I strongly suspect it could set loose forces that we would deeply live to regret."

Jan 27

Program aimed at terrorists' use of cargo containers runs into problems with EU
The European Union takes legal action against Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium for supporting a US program aimed at preventing the use of cargo containers by terrorists. The program, called the Container Security Initiative, allows American customs officers to work with local inspectors at foreign ports examining containers bound for the United States, looking for weapons or hazardous material that could be used by terrorists groups. The European Union is also considering action against Britain, Italy, and Spain for similar violations. The complaint says that the agreements give cargo passing through participating ports preferential treatment and cause shippers to start diverting US-bound cargo to those ports from others in the European Union. Under its rules, the union says, individual members cannot make such deals, and the same trade preferences must apply to all 15 members.

British police find protective suits in London mosque
British police investigating a terrorist plot admit finding chemical warfare protection suits in a north London mosque. Until now, Scotland Yard and M15 detectives have kept the discovery of the protective suits quiet for fear of setting off a panic. Police initially said their raid had produced several weapons, including a stun gun, an imitation rifle, and a gas canister. Detectives now confirm that the protective suits are being tested to establish if they contain any trace of ricin or other poison.

Evidence of Iraq's harboring of weapons may soon be released
The United States will soon release evidence that Iraq continues to harbor weapons of mass destruction, according to Secretary of State Colin Powell. "The United States possesses several pieces of information which come from the work of our intelligence that show Iraq maintains prohibited weapons," Powell tells Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview. "Once we have made sure it can be done safely, I think that in the next week or soon after, we can make public a good part of this material. The newspaper also quotes Powell as saying that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would soon be capable of using the weapons. Powell tells the Italian newspaper that war is not around the corner, but Washington is losing its patience.

Computerized surveillance of health-data to speed discovery of bioterror
The CDC is leading a multimillion-dollar project to develop a computerized surveillance network to collect and analyze citizens' health data in eight major cities, administration officials say. An explosion in commercial medical databases used by health authorities creates the foundation for such surveillance, although it also raises concerns about violating individual medical privacy rights. The health network goes far beyond the recently announced environmental surveillance system also under development by the administration. Officials and experts say the health network will provide information that could save lives by detecting attacks with deadly germs like smallpox or anthrax. A head start of even a day or two would greatly lower death rates by prompting early treatment and preventing an isolated outbreak from becoming an epidemic. The CDC's initiative represents a shift to civilian leadership in a field the military pioneered and once dominated.

Blix report on weapons inspection in Iraq not positive
Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix gives a largely negative report on Iraq's cooperation with his team's initial inspections. "Iraq appears not to have come to genuine acceptancenot even todayof the disarmament which was demanded of it and which it needs to carry out to win the confidence of the world and live in peace," he says. Blix provided a 15-page catalog of Iraq's chemical and biological arms programs, including a comprehensive account of ways in which Saddam Hussein has failed to prove that he has eliminated illegal weapons. Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, the chief inspector for atomic weapons, is less critical of Iraq, contending that his team has yet to discover evidence that Iraq has tried to revive its nuclear arms program and appealing to the Security Council for a "few months" more to complete his work.

Jan 26

Were actions around missing plague vials an overreaction?
Colleagues of Dr. Thomas C. Butler, the Texas physician arrested earlier this month in connection with missing vials of plague bacteria, criticize the FBI for a reaction far out of proportion to the threat. They suspect that Butler fibbed about the vials because he had not completed the paperwork required to document their destruction. "It scares the hell out of all of us," Ted Warren Reid, a biochemist at Texas Tech who planned to collaborate with Butler on a study, tells the Baltimore Sun. "Personally I found this event in Texas very chilling," says Susan C. Straley, a University of Kentucky plague researcher. "I'm scared. It's sort of a police-state atmosphere." But security experts say the Texas event signals how terrorism is remaking the world of biological research. "Many feel biology has lost its innocence now, just as physics lost its innocence with the development of the atomic bomb," says Joseph Henderson, a former Department of Energy safety official who studies biosecurity at the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies.

Jan 25

Some weapons of mass destruction may best be destroyed by nuclear arms
Military officials consider the possible use of nuclear weapons in a war against Iraq, according to a report by defense analyst and Los Angeles Times columnist William M. Arkin. Though an unlikely possibility, planners are examining lists of potential targets and considering options such as using a so-called bunker-buster nuclear weapon against deeply buried military targets. Officials say the US would use tactical nuclear arms only in retaliation for an Iraqi strike with chemical or biological weapons, or to preempt one, according to Arkin. His report, based on interviews and a review of official documents, appears in a column to be published in the Los Angeles Times. Administration officials believe that some circumstances could call for nuclear arms as the only way to destroy deeply buried targets that may contain unconventional weapons that could kill thousands.

Jan 24

Four get smallpox shots as Connecticut launches campaign
Four of 20 members of a Connecticut team that is expected to launch the state's smallpox vaccination program come forward for the shot. Connecticut is the first state to begin immunizing healthcare workers. The "Genesis Team" is supposed to be vaccinated and then spread out across the state to vaccinate other healthcare workers volunteering for the shots. Michael Grey, coordinator of the Genesis Team, attributes the low turnout both to complacency about a possible bioterrorist attack and to anxiety about receiving the vaccine. "There's not been a case of smallpox; we're not yet at war with Iraq. People's concerns are reasonable," he says. "We're ready to adjust to that." State Public Health Commissioner Joxel Garcia says he did not expect all 20 volunteers to show up. Leaders of a nurses union have recommended that members refuse to volunteer for the shots until several liability questions are answered. A recent survey by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials indicates that few states are confident that their workers' compensation laws will sufficiently cover injuries caused by the vaccine. Connecticut is currently working on state legislation that would provide compensation to anyone harmed by the vaccine, Garcia says.

Wolfowitz says Iraqi cover-up includes intimidation of scientists
The Bush administration is preparing an assessment of Iraq's efforts to block UN weapons inspectors from learning about hidden weapons. The assessment relies heavily on former Iraqi scientists, military officers, and contractors who are providing American intelligence officials with a picture of Saddam Hussein's secret programs to develop and conceal chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, according to the New York Times. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz acknowledges in a speech in New York that the administration is relying on defectors. "Today, we know from multiple sources that Saddam has ordered that any scientist who cooperated during interviews will be killed, as well as their families," he says. "Furthermore, we know that scientists are being tutored on what to say to the UN inspectors and that Iraqi intelligence officers are posing as scientists to be interviewed by the inspectors." This is the first time the administration has accused Iraq of specific acts of intimidation against its scientists.

Iraqi opposition group says Iraqi forces have protective suits
The Iraqi National Coalition, an Iraqi opposition group, says it has proof that President Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard are equipped with protective suits and the drug atropine, according to BBC radio. A former UN weapons inspector says the report could mean Saddam plans to use chemical weapons against the United States and its allies gathering in the Gulf region. The INC, hoping to oust Saddam, claims the handwritten Arabic-language documents detail methods of attacking ships in the gulf and came from military personnel inside Iraq, according to the BBC. "The fact that they have imported atropine is an indicator that they are willing to use VX," says Bill Tierney, a former UN weapons inspector.

Turkish leader accuses US of hypocrisy on Iraq
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, chairman of Turkey's governing Justice and Development Party, accuses the United States and others nations of hypocrisy in demanding that Saddam Hussein give up his weapons of mass destruction while holding and protecting their own arsenals. "This sounds good," he says in his first appearance at the World Economic Forum. "But let's not kid ourselves. No one is interested in eliminating their own weapons of mass destruction. They're interested in strengthening their own weapons of mass destruction." Asked if he was charging the United States with hypocrisy, Erdogan says, "I mean all the countries in the world. The United States is also included." Erdogan is likely to become prime minister of Turkey after running in parliamentary by-elections.

Jan 23

Bush seeks more money for USDA antiterrorism efforts
Aiming to protect consumers and provide greater laboratory security, President Bush plans to request an 11% increase in the Agriculture Department's 2004 food safety budget. The budget request of $797 million heads for Congress next month, according to Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. The figure is up $81 million from the 2002 budget and $100 million, or 14%, over 2001. Bush's recommendation "will further the USDA's efforts to protect consumers and the US agriculture sector against threats, both intentional and unintentional," Veneman says at the US Poultry and Egg Association's conference in Atlanta. USDA inspectors will test more frequently for bacteria such as Listeria and E coli, she adds. The proposed budget also includes $70 million to increase security to guard against bioterrorism and the spread of pathogens, particularly at USDA laboratories.

Militants in Britain may have been trying to poison troops
Islamic militants arrested in Britain could have been planning to use ricin to poison British troops, according to American government officials who say they learned about the potential plot through intelligence reports. American officials say British authorities suspect that militants arrested there in a series of raids may have been trying to gain access to the food supply on at least one military base in the United Kingdom, according to the New York Times. "It's a very live theory," says an American law enforcement official acquainted with the British information. American officials say the reports point to one suspect who worked for a food preparation company and had been in contact with individuals working on at least one British military base.

Union seeks more safeguards in smallpox immunization program
The United Food and Commercial Workers International asks for changes in the Bush administration's smallpox vaccination program for healthcare workers. "While our nurses recognize smallpox as a potential threat, the real enemy is inadequate staffing in healthcare facilities to take care of patients, says Marilyn Savage, president of United Staff Nurses UFCW Local 141. "To lose healthcare workers to illness from vaccination would worsen the problem," she adds. In a statement, the union calls for more information and protection for its members.

Iraqi official says scientists don't want to talk to weapons inspectors
A top Iraqi official says Iraqi scientists refuse to be privately interviewed by UN weapons inspectors. Gen. Hussam Muhammad Amin, the Iraqi liaison with the inspectors, says that all six scientists with whom inspectors wished to speak would not talk to inspectors without an accompanying government "minder" or unless the interview was recorded. He says the government will continue to encourage them, but officials could do little to change the scientist's minds. "How can we solve this?" he asks reporters at a weekly briefing. "Should we put him in prison and say to him: 'Make an interview in private'? This is contrary with his rights and his human rights."

Counties suffer from delay of federal preparedness funds
Health commissioners from financially stressed counties across the country complain that Congress is delaying approval of $3.5 billion promised to assist local governments in preparations for potential terrorist attacks. "It's like sending soldiers into battle without weapons or training," says Kenneth A. Mayfield, a commissioner in Dallas County, Tex., and president of the National Association of Counties. Congressional budget battles have delayed the money, forcing counties to absorb many costs of training emergency responders and strengthening defenses. Randy Johnson, a county board member in Hennepin County, Minn., says Hennepin has spent $5.5 million since Sept. 11, 2001, on training and capital improvements, and he expects to spend an additional $8 million in the coming year. But the county might be forced to freeze hiring, reduce health programs, and cut back library hours.

Jan 22

US and former Soviet scientists team up against international terrorism
The United States awards the first of several grants to US and former Soviet scientists who are joining forces to create new ways to reduce the impact of international terrorist threats. The grants aim to improve homeland security and prevent the spread of vital weapons expertise. The Civilian Research and Development Foundation will award up to $100,000 in State Department funds to six teams consisting of Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, and US scientists. Their projects will range from developing radiation and explosive detection and decontamination technologies to identifying protective measures for civilian infrastructure such as utilities, buildings, and subways, foundation officials say. Team members in Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia will receive 80% of the funds, and US partners will receive 20%t, according to David Lindeman, the CRDF program director. A total of $1 million is available for the antiterrorism grants, and additional funding is being sought from US government and private sources.

Survey of nurses re smallpox has disappointing results
A new survey reveals that of 2,661 nurses polled by the National Network for Immunization Information, only 1 in 5 knows that immunization given within a few days of exposure to smallpox will prevent the disease. "If nurses don't understand how the smallpox vaccine works, we can be confident that the general public doesn't either," says Louis Cooper, interim director of the network and professor of pediatrics at Columbia University. In another of the survey's findings, more than half the respondents mistakenly thought smallpox could spread to someone a few feet away. Transmission generally occurs through close bodily contact. Nurses' organizations continue to raise concerns about the Bush administration's plan to immunize as many as 10.5 million medical workers and emergency responders.

US early warning system questioned by bioterrorism expert
While the US government rolls out an early warning system for biological attack, experts question the effectiveness of the system. "I cannot imagine it would be of any useful purpose in a bioterrorism attack," says Tara O'Toole, who heads the Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies at Johns Hopkins University. "The problem is that all of the technologies we now use have a very high false positive rate. They go off when there is not a biological attack," she also says. The new EPA devices use filters that require regular checking at CDC labs, which O'Toole says would be costly and time-consuming. "The labs that would do this testing are public health laboratories," she says. "That system is already severely under resourced and overstretched." Further, the system can sample only a limited amount of air in a very small area.

Jan 21

Nationwide air monitoring system will be used to detect deadly germs
The Department of Homeland Security plans to install a national system of environmental monitors to detect airborne anthrax, smallpox, and other deadly germs, say senior administration officials. The system uses sophisticated data analysis that can be adapted to many of the Environmental Protection Agency's 3,000 air-quality monitoring stations throughout the country. Its capacity to detect a bioterrorist strike would give the government more time to activate medical resources and save thousands of lives, officials say. The system allows EPA monitoring stations to send samples of a tissue-like paper from upgraded air filtering machines to the nearest of 120 laboratories associated with the CDC. Results will be available within 12 to 24 hours. Officials say the introduction of the system is not linked to a specific terrorist threat.

US troops in Kuwait getting smallpox shots
Military officials say that a campaign is underway to inoculate more than 17,000 US troops in Kuwait against smallpox. Further plans include preparing enough vaccine for the tens of thousands of troops due to arrive there soon. The timetable for completing the vaccinations is "immediately, if not sooner," says Col. Larry Godfrey, smallpox vaccination program director for US forces in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. The program began Dec 31 with military healthcare workers first to receive the inoculations. Several hundred military personnel had been vaccinated as of Jan 20, says Godfrey, and that number will increase quickly over the next few weeks. "As we speak, units are putting the final touches on individual vaccination plans," he says. To date, only a few minor side effects have been associated with the vaccine. Godfrey says troops have been more eager to get the smallpox vaccinations than anthrax inoculations.

Thompson wants compensation fund for smallpox vaccine reactions
The federal government begins shipping smallpox vaccine to several states while administration officials work on plans for a fund to compensate people injured by the vaccine. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson says he is working with the White House and key senators to compensate people for lost work time, medical expenses, and other losses. "I'm in favor of some compensation," says Thompson. "There's some anxiety out there. We want this [vaccination program] to be successful." He adds that he would like to see the issue resolved because the uncertainty over compensation for adverse events gives people a reason to refuse vaccination.

More than 80 hospitals shun smallpox inoculation program
More than 80 hospitals throughout the United States, including large teaching hospitals and urban public hospitals, are rejecting smallpox vaccinations, according to USA Today. Though they represent a small fraction of the nation's hospitals, their numbers continue to grow as doctors and administrators conclude that the known health risks from the vaccine outweigh the unknown risk of a smallpox attack. Richard Wenzel, chairman of internal medicine at Virginia Medical College, finds the resistance neither surprising nor unwarranted. "This is not an issue that should be framed in terms of patriotism," he says. "This is an issue that's medical risk-benefit. We haven't seen this disease for more than 25 years. We are reacting to a perceived threat that is not well defined." The hospitals are reaching their decisions independently after their in-house infectious disease specialists study the Bush plan.

Jan 20

British arrest seven at mosque suspected to be site of terrorist recruiting
British police arrest seven people and seize computer equipment and files in a raid at a controversial London mosque. Some 150 officers storm the North London Central Mosque but do not arrest its spiritual leader, Sheikh Abu Hamza, a radical preacher suspected by security officers and terrorism experts to be using the mosque to recruit for Al Qaida. A police statement says the raid was not aimed at ordinary worshipers but "specifically at individuals who have been supporting or engaging in suspected terrorist activity from within the building." Hamza denies the allegations and tells reporters that police arrested the mosque's security guards.

Jan 18

Smallpox scare reported at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base officials in Maryland say part of the base hospital was closed for more than 2 hours after a patient came to the emergency room with symptoms resembling smallpox. The female patient went to Malcolm Grow Medical Center and was eventually diagnosed with a severe case of chickenpox, according to Andrews officials. The patient and three medical workers who came in contact with her were isolated as a precaution, while the Prince George's County Fire Department diverted incoming patients between 6 and 8:15 p.m. A statement from the base's public affairs office says the patient, a member of a military family, arrived at about 6 p.m. complaining of a "low-grade temperature," difficulty breathing, and sudden onset of a rash. Andrews says medical personnel took "all necessary precautions since her symptoms were very similar to those of smallpox."

British police suspect Islamic groups of plotting biological attack
British police and intelligence services are hunting for three networks of suspected Islamic terrorists that they fear are planning a biological strike on Britain. Senior security sources tell the Observer that tracing the terrorist groups is extremely difficult because of the rise of a new generation of "clean skin" extremistsyoung Islamic militants with no previous links to terrorism. The disclosures accompany an announcement that police arrested three men at Gatwick airport under anti-terrorism legislation.

Jan 17

Expert panel urges clear warnings about smallpox vaccine risks
A panel of scientific experts advises federal health officials to inform health workers offered the smallpox vaccine that it carries real risks and that compensation for any injury or financial may not be available. "The committee suggests explicitly stating that the benefit of the vaccination program is to increase the nation's public health preparedness, but that the benefit of vaccination to any one individual might be very low," the Institute of Medicine panel advises the CDC. The panel challenges the Bush administration to look for "bold and creative" solutions to provide compensation for people injured by the vaccine. Lack of reimbursement for lost work time and medical expenses could cause "some, perhaps many" people to decline to get vaccinated, thus "undermining the effectiveness" of the program, according to the report. The group also recommends that the CDC evaluate the safety of the vaccination program after the first round of inoculations and before starting the second round.

CDC will proceed with smallpox vaccinations despite advice to slow down
Despite recommendations to delay their smallpox vaccination program, federal health officials say they plan to begin shipping 50,000 doses of smallpox vaccine to at least 11 states starting Jan 21. Though some unions and medical experts are asking for a slower, more cautious approach, CDC Director Julie L. Gerberding says, "We intend to make this happen on time. We live in a dangerous world where a terrorist attack with smallpox is possible. We have to prepare so we can protect the American people." An Institute of Medicine advisory panel cautions that a "hasty launch may mean insufficiently trained vaccinators and uninformed vaccinees, leading perhaps to an increased likelihood of poor outcomes." Facing questions about liability and with many hospitals saying they won't refuse to inoculate workers unless a smallpox outbreak is confirmed, Gerberding is downplaying the doubts and defections.

Phase 1 of smallpox immunizations may be smaller, later than planned
The number of healthcare workers expected to volunteer for the federal smallpox inoculation program has shrunk dramatically, and some states say it will take months to launch their campaigns, according to the Los Angeles Times. A telephone survey of public health officials in 20 states indicates several misunderstandings between state and federal officials on fundamental issues such as when vaccine supplies will arrive. Federal health officials acknowledge the "variability in preparedness" among the states, but feel confident that the program offers the best method of preparation against a potential attack with the smallpox virus. "All of the states have taken enormous steps . . . in an incredibly short period of time," says CDC Director Dr. Julie L. Gerberding. "Overall, we're very pleased and impressed." But many of the state plans differ in size and timing from the Bush administration's program.

Immunization reform group decries smallpox vaccine liability system
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), an advocacy group, criticizes the Bush administration's stance on liability and compensation for injuries and losses related to smallpox shots. The NVIC calls the administration's plan to protect drug companies, hospitals, and medical workers from liability associated with smallpox vaccine injuries, while leaving victims of such injuries with what the NVIC regards as inadequate compensation, a "heartless" public policy. "It is wrong for the US government to tell Americans to take the smallpox vaccine and then, when someone dies or is injured because of that public policy, nobody takes responsibility," says NVIC President Barbara Loe Fisher. The NVIC represents more than 40,000 parents of vaccine-injured children, healthcare professionals, and others who advocate reform of the mass vaccination system.

Iraqi warheads were for chemical weapons, UN inspectors say
Iraq had tens of thousands of 122-mm rockets capable of carrying chemical weapons, and thousands remain unaccounted for, so the discovery by UN inspectors of 12 warheads for the rockets isn't surprising, say former UN inspectors. UN weapons inspectors in Baghdad said the warheads were empty chemical warheads for 122-mm rockets that Iraq didn't list in its December declaration to the Security Council, according to the Associated Press. But Iraq said the warheads were not for biological or chemical weapons and had been included in the declaration. Chief UN inspector Hans Blix says the warheads clearly were designed to carry chemical weapons.

Jan 16

IOM experts say smallpox vaccination program needs more time
The government's smallpox vaccination plan needs more time and better safeguards, according to a draft report from a 15-member committee set up by the Institute of Medicine at the request of the CDC. The confidential draft, obtained by the New York Times, expresses concerns about the vaccine's dangerous side effects and urges that the government allow enough time between the two phases of the vaccination program to assess the first phase and apply any lessons learned. "I think it's saying the decision to vaccinate was essentially a political one, and there are a lot of scientific reservations about it," says a panel member. "We were not asked to talk about the policy, but we're saying there are a lot of reservations and safeguards that need to be put in place."

Weapons inspectors in Iraq find 11 empty chemical warheads
UN weapons inspectors in Iraq find 11 empty chemical warheads and one that requires further testing. None appear in Iraq's final weapons declaration submitted in December, say UN officials. The discovery includes 12 warheads equipped to deliver chemical agents and in "excellent condition." UN inspectors say they found the warheads in an army munitions depot about 100 miles south of Baghdad, where they examined bunkers constructed in the late 1990s. The finding appears to place Iraq in technical violation of Security Council resolutions prohibiting the possession or development of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. "This was an important discovery," a UN official involved with the inspection says. "This was clearly something they should not have had." But he says that inspectors do not yet see this as "a smoking gun that proves conclusively Iraq is hiding" or producing chemical weapons.

Professor accused of lying about fate of plague specimens
The government charges Texas Tech University professor Dr. Thomas C. Butler with lying to investigators by claiming that 30 vials of plague bacteria disappeared. Butler is being held without bond on the charge of giving a false statement to a federal agent, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The FBI says Butler admitted that he accidentally destroyed the vials and then lied about their disappearance. "I made a misjudgment by not telling [the supervisor] that the plague bacteria had been accidentally destroyed earlier rather than erroneously first found missing," Butler wrote, according to court documents filed by the FBI. Butler's attorney, Floyd Holder, says the professor intends to plead not guilty.

Researchers report simple, rapid test for plague
Scientists from the Pasteur Institute in France and the Ministry of Health in Madagascar say they have developed a simple and reliable dipstick test to rapidly diagnose plague. The new test, described in The Lancet, could save lives in developing countries and help with global bioterrorism preparedness and response, say the researchers. The study involved about 700 dipstick tests in all suspected plague cases during 2000 and 2001 at 26 pilot sites. Researchers say the tests produced results as reliable as lab tests. Although the new test could speed diagnosis in a bioterrorism crisis, it is most needed in the developing world, where most natural plague cases occur and labs are scarce.

Pair arrested in Britain had ricin, newspaper says
Two men arrested by British police in Manchester, England, are Algerian extremists influenced by Al Qaida and possess the deadly poison ricin, according to the Guardian newspaper. One of the men is charged with murdering a police officer at the time of the arrests. The newspaper reports that the group is linked to the ricin discovered in a London apartment Jan 5. The British government and police have not confirmed that the men arrested in London and Manchester are Algerian, but John Reid, chairman of the governing Labor Party, says the arrests "underlined . . . the need to recognize that this is a new kind of threat." The Guardian says that the alleged killer was a "very senior player" in the Algerian network behind the ricin plot.

News group publishes guide for reporters covering bioterrorism
The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation (RTNDF) publishes "A Journalist's Guide to Covering Bioterrorism" to assist media representatives who report on topics involving bioterrorism. Responsible news organizations can "make or break a response" to bioterrorism and play a critical role in the nation's recovery from the unthinkable, says the organization. The 50-page guide points to faulty information and a hysterical tone as key challenges to good reporting.

Jan 15

Al-Queda operative provides US info on his group's nuke-bio-chem capabilities
US intelligence officials learn from alleged al-Qaeda operative Ramzi Bin al-Shibh about al-Qaeda terrorists' potential for using nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, government sources tell USA Today. Bin al-Shibh's interrogation has been "very productive in understanding what the capability was, how close to nuke-bio-chem they were" up to September, when the Yemeni cleric was captured in Pakistan. Bin al-Shibh, one of few living suspects in the Sep 11 conspiracy, is also providing details about al-Qaeda's command structure, the sources say. Officials believe Bin al-Shibh's information will help the CIA, FBI, and Defense of Department for "some time to come," one source says. Because Bin Al-Shibh is being held in a secret location out of touch with al-Qaeda, sources say he cannot tell interrogators whether an attack is imminent.

Police officer killed in connection with London ricin investigation
The ongoing investigation into the discovery of the poison ricin in a London apartment, leads to the death of a British police officer in an antiterrorism raid, reports BBC News. Stephen Oake died and three other officers were injured when a suspect detained in a raid broke free and stabbed them with a kitchen knife. "We've got to make sure that these groups of fanatics, who have no compunction in taking human life and who have no demands that any political system could possibly accede to, are defeated," says Prime Minister Tony Blair. Oake had been with the accused men for more than an hour when the attack took place. Two of the three men were arrested under the Terrorism Act of 2000, and a third under postSeptember 11 antiterrorist legislation. They are all being held in Manchester, England. Officers continue to search the apartment for any chemical substances.

Scientist arrested in false scare about bubonic plague
Law enforcement officials arrest scientist Dr. Thomas Butler for allegedly destroying vials containing bacteria that could cause bubonic plague. Officials say they don't know why Butler, chief of the Infectious Disease Division at Texas Tech University's Department of Internal Medicine, destroyed the vials, as he was heading a study to develop antibiotics to fight plague. One law enforcement source says Butler notified the school that the 30 vials were missing, then repeated his story to the FBI, saying he did not know how or why the vials disappeared. He later recanted his story and admitted destroying them himself, the source says. A spokeswoman for Texas Tech says it is premature to say what action school officials will take and that it is too early to say whether Butler will be suspended pending an investigation. "I hope we'll be able to continue the research," spokeswoman Cindy Rugely says.

Czech concern builds over potential Iraqi bioterrorism
Czech military officials fear that an allied attack on Iraq could provoke Saddam Hussein to retaliate with biological weapons, including a special version of the smallpox virus, according to reports in Mlada fronta Dnes and Pravo. Jan Petras, head of military health services, says it is very likely that Iraq acquired from the former USSR a very dangerous smallpox strain called Aralsk 1970 and a modified strain of camelpox. He also worries that doctors today have no experience with smallpox and would not recognize its initial symptoms.

False alarm for anthrax in Washington PO
The US Postal Service finds no anthrax at its Washington processing facility and says test results that detected the bacteria on a sample from the Federal Reserve Bank were false. Anthrax tests conducted this month at a Federal Reserve mail-screening center had produced positive results, prompting the central bank to report it to the Postal Service. "In total, 86 samples, every sample has come back negative" for anthrax, says Tom Day, vice president of engineering for the Postal Service. "From the results we have achieved over the course of the past year (from other anthrax cases), we believe these are very reliable results." Day says the sample taken at the screening facility was not connected to a specific piece of mail and had been discovered during routine testing. One of 36 samples taken between Jan 3 and Jan 6 produced a positive result in preliminary tests.

Jan 14

Public health's ability to address terrorism challenged on many fronts
Many factors, including decreased budgets and outdated personnel processes and computer systems, challenge state public health departments' ability to respond to terrorism, say health experts at a meeting of the Council on Public Health Preparedness. While state and local health departments have made important progress in crisis planning, they face a significant number of unmet needs. State health officials say they are overwhelmed with the demands of the Bush administration's smallpox vaccination plan and fear it will detract from other important public health work. Additionally, they are having difficulty recruiting and keeping talented healthcare workers. Smallpox is only one of many concerns facing healthcare authorities, which include a major challenge for state and local officials to improve the ability of hospitals to respond to mass casualties, says Richard Niska, director of the hospital preparedness program at the Health Resources and Services Administration, which administers grants to states to augment preparedness.

Media personnel going to Iraq to be offered smallpox, anthrax shots
Reporters accompanying US troops in a war with Iraq will be offered smallpox and anthrax shots for protection against a potential biological attack, according to the Defense Department. Pentagon officials tell media bureau chiefs that the inoculations are voluntary, once the organizations decide who will travel with US forces into or near combat zones. The offer could involve several hundred reporters who could engage in close coverage of US troops, says Air Force Col. Jay DeFrank, a Pentagon spokesman.

European Commission more suited to addressing bioterrorism risk than individual EU states
A Secret European Union report indicates that the EU must make more effort to guard against biological terrorism. Co-author Stefan Kaufmann of the 14-member Expert Group on Countering the Effects of Biological and Chemical Terrorism tells Reuters the danger of such an event is small but real. "There is a low risk, but if something happens, the consequences will be enormous," he says. "Kaufmann, an immunologist and head of Berlin's Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, says the European Commission is better situated to supervise plans for responding to biological threats than individual EU states, but it has little funding. The report outlines several scenarios involving deliberate releases of biological and chemical agents. "The purpose is to find out, if terrorists hit us, where it would hurt most, says an EU official, who declines to be named.

Healthcare workers not liable if they infect others after smallpox vaccination
The Bush administration decides that healthcare and other workers who receive vaccinations against smallpox and inadvertently infect patients are not liable for damages. In a letter to the American Hospital Association, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson outlines the administration's views and promises more detailed guidance from the Department of Justice this week. Michael Osterholm, bioterrorism advisor to Thompson, says that attorneys at HHS and the justice department are interpreting law to protect people and institutions providing the vaccine. They want to offer "the widest umbrella of protection" possible, he says. This policy could deter people from getting vaccinated, says Dr. D.A. Henderson, chair of a federal advisory committee on bioterrorism. He believes the issue is "potentially a very large problem."

ACIP works over October recommendations on smallpox vaccinations
Doctors continue to work out details of the government's smallpox vaccination program involving half a million health and emergency workers. The program is scheduled to begin in late January. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is addressing questions about draft recommendations developed in October. Their final recommendations go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is likely to follow the committee's advice. One issue under consideration is whether people living with infants under a year old should be vaccinated. The current draft recommends that such adults could safely be immunized, but babies that young should not receive the vaccination owing to the potential for dangerous reactions. The group also expanded the categories of people who should not receive the vaccination, adding some people with severe autoimmune diseases, even if they are not taking medication.

Jan 13

California program for botulism antidote could be axed
Pending budget cuts could destroy the source of the country's best antidote for the potential bioweapon botulinum toxin. Developed in California by a state health department physician, Stephen Arnon, and his colleagues, the antidote is also used to treat the approximately 100 infants nationwide in whom botulinum poisoning develops each year. The California antitoxin program could be eliminated by Gov. Gray Davis's attempts to cut a record $35 billion from the state's budget. The antidote is made of antibodies drawn from the blood of humans vaccinated against botulinum. A limited amount of the antitoxin is currently stockpiled to treat infants nationwide, although it also could supplement the nation's small supply of equine antitoxin should a terrorist attack with botulinum occur. Unlike equine antitoxin, the human version works longer and does not cause rejection or potentially serious allergic reactions. Researchers are just beginning working on genetically engineered antitoxin.

Ricin-making instructions found on Chechen soldier killed by Russians
Russian presidential aide Sergei Yaztrzhembsky says that instructions for developing poisons, including ricin, were found on a soldier killed last week by Russian special forces fighting in Chechnya. The Russian government has informed other countries working with Russia against terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction, according to Yaztrzhembsky's office. A group of suspected terrorists arrested in London have been accused of training in Afghanistan, Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, and Chechnya.

US money freed to help Russia protect or destroy weapons
President Bush releases nearly a half-billion dollars of frozen funds to help Russia protect or destroy nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, according to a USA Today report. More than $150 million will go to build a facility to destroy chemical munitions at Shchuch'ye, Russia, where nearly 2 million artillery shells and missile warheads filled with deadly nerve gas are stored in poorly secured barns. The president's order ends a year-long freeze on spending for projects under the US Cooperative Threat Reduction program, which was paralyzed by restrictive rules set by Republican critics in Congress. Administration officials say the program serves as vital defense against terrorists in rogue states obtaining old Soviet weapons of mass destruction. "There are a lot of (assistance) contracts piled up that will go forward now," says Paul Walker of Global Green USA, a group hired by the Pentagon to facilitate threat-reduction projects in Russia.

Bournemouth suspects released, likely not connected with London ricin case
British police release five men suspected of planning terrorist activity. Law enforcement officials are downplaying any links with an alleged plot to use the deadly poison ricin. The arrests in Bournemouth were connected with an alleged deception, immigration issues, and a hoax device placed in London, according to a Metropolitan police spokeswoman. "It was just speculation that the arrests were in connection with the alleged ricin plot," she says. The arrests followed the discovery of ricin in a London apartment.

Government scientist disputes professors' accusation of illicit US biological weapons research
A US government scientist angrily disputes allegations made by two independent scientists that the United States is conducting illegal biological weapons programs barred by the Biological Weapons Convention. Recent articles in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the CBW Conventions Bulletin feature professors Mark Wheelis of the University of California at Davis and Malcolm Dando of the United Kingdom's University of Bradford theorizing that the administration has scuttled a proposed treaty inspection protocol to prevent discovery of growing, prohibited US research. The "United States may have rejected the bioweapons protocol because it is committed to continuing and expanding secret programs," they assert in one. Alan Zelicoff, senior scientist at the Center for National Security and Arms Control at Sandia National Laboratories, is protesting the charges on an international e-mail forum widely read by biological arms control specialists.

Jan 11

Armed forces data provide hopeful evidence on repeat smallpox vaccinations
Military records from 1942 to 1990 show that the risk of serious side effects or death from smallpox vaccine drops dramatically for those who have been vaccinated previously. During that period, the military recorded no fatalities from the vaccine, according to records reviewed by the Washington Post. Adverse reactions were so infrequent that the program continued years after experts counseled that there was no longer a need. Military information from the 1960s through the 1980s comprises the only known body of evidence describing the vaccine effects in a large population over a long period of time. The armed forces' vaccine consisted of the same strain of vaccinia virus that the government intends to use on up to 11 million emergency and healthcare personnel. Lt. Col. John Grabenstein, deputy director of the Military Vaccine Agency, points out that the armed services program dealt with a selected group of mostly young, healthy adults

Charges brought in ricin case, further arrests could be related
Four Algerians accused of planning to use ricin poison in terrorist attacks are charged with terror and chemical weapons offenses, while British police arrest six more people in Bournemouth on the English Channel. Police won't say if the new arrests are connected to the ricin case. The six are charged under the Terrorism Act of 2000, which applies to individuals suspected of "possessing articles of value to a terrorist." Police have not directly linked the group to al Qaeda, but documents gathered at the site where investigators discovered ricin appear to be reproduced from the chemical weapons manuals developed in abandoned al Qaeda sites in Afghanistan. The BBC reports that most of those apprehended under the Terrorism Act have been Algerians. "The suspicion is that there are a number of sleeper cells operating on both sides of the Channel that have become radicalized and are looking to do some kind of attack."

Jan 10

Ricin suspects in London tracked earlier in France
French antiterrorist police have been tracking at least two Algerian men arrested in London in an alleged plot to produce ricin before they arrived in Britain. The French officers say they followed the men for up to a week before the suspected terrorists crossed the channel, when French police informed British law enforcement officials. Experts say some Algerian extremists abroad were directly connected to Osama bin Laden. "Algeria is a hot bed of Islamic extremism. When you move away from Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants with the Yemeni and Saudi connections, the Algerians are way up there," says Garth Whitty, a security expert, tells The Scotsman. "A lot of Algerian groups have been exported to France. Because French security services are having success penetrating those groups, a lot of them are moving over the Channel." British antiterrorist police investigating the ricin case have only 7 days to charge the individuals they have arrested, reports BBC News. Six people arrested are still being held. Biochemical experts are working to determine if more poison could have been made at the apartment under investigation and subsequently moved.

Jan 9

Scotland on alert for any links to London ricin arrests
Police in Scotland pool their resources with other British law enforcement officials seeking to discover if members of a terrorist cell believed to be on the run with a quantity of ricin are linked to others working in Scotland, reports the The Scotsman. Though neither force would officially link their investigations, police sources in Scotland suggest they are working on the theory that groups operating on either side of the border could be acquainted. No specific targets have been identified in Scotland or London, but health services in both remain on alert. A spokesman for the Scottish Metropolitan Police confirms that officers from his force and Lothian and Borders have been in contact since the arrests of seven men of North African origin in London. Scotland Yard says that two more men remain unaccounted for in the recent London arrests, and they have not yet found the ricin produced in a London apartment.

Cyprus could be site for Iraqi scientists' interviews
United Nations weapons inspectors plan to request that Iraqi scientists travel to Cyprus to be interviewed about their country's banned weapons programs, according to a Time Magazine report on its Web site. "This remains one of the options and I'm sure we will begin some interviews very soon, within a week or so," chief UN inspector Hans Blix is quoted as saying. Cyprus offers suitable facilities for such interviews, including a well-guarded space at an abandoned airport in the capital, which offers a neutral, protected area. A New York Times articles says Lt. Gen. Hossam Mohammed Amin, chief Iraqi liaison to the weapons inspectors, predicts the Iraqi scientists will refuse the trip.

UN weapons inspectors not satisfied so far
United Nations weapons inspectors, dissatisfied with Iraq's weapons declaration, say Baghdad has not proven that its arms programs have been destroyed. "The declaration . . . is rich in volume but poor in new information," says chief UN inspector Hans Blix. Inspectors plan to fly to Baghdad Jan19-20 to tell Iraqi officials they must provide "credible evidence" about their country's nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile programs. Inspectors also want to see a more comprehensive list of Iraqi scientists and answers to questions on a wide range of related subjects. Blix is challenging Iraq's contention that prompt access by inspectors and failure of inspectors to find any illegal items confirm Iraq's assertion that the country has no secret weapons programs. "The absence of 'smoking guns' and prompt access, which we have had so far . . . is no guarantee that prohibited stocks or activities could not exist at other sites," says Blix.

Scientists, security experts discuss publication of sensitive information
Scientists at the National Academy of Sciences begin dialogue on matters surrounding the publication of scientific information that could compromise national security. The discussions, prompted by the reluctance of some microbiologists to publish their full research out of concern that terrorists might use the information, brought together security experts and scientists, who often viewed each other with distrust. "These two communities, if we do not start now with a constructive dialogue with each other, we're going to turn this into a disaster," says John J. Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which co-sponsored the meeting with the National Academy. Hamre says scientists must take the security concerns seriously or politicians and policy makers with little understanding of science will step in with "blanket restrictions on science, not knowing what's sensitive and what' s not sensitive."

Jan 8

Lack of commercial interest slows progress on vaccines to protect American troops
A US Army biodefense officer says the Pentagon lacks many vaccines to protect troops because it cannot offer enough money to commercial pharmaceutical companies to produce them. Col. Eric A. Henchal says the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, which he commands, has developed 20 vaccines for deadly agents, but most remain untested due to lack of commercial interest. Pentagon researchers typically develop a drug or vaccine to a certain level and then license it to a commercial company for production. In the past, a comparatively small demand for vaccine for armed service members, plus FDA delays in obtaining approval, have dampened commercial interest. Agents to treat or prevent botulinum toxin poisoning is an example of a venture where important progress has been made by the Army lab but money for full-scale production has been lacking.

British troops struggle with safety of anthrax vaccination
The British Ministry of Defense contends that an anthrax vaccine offered to its troops who could be sent to Iraq is safe, although he admits soldiers could suffer side effects. "I can assure that it has been given to many, many people over a long period of time and there has never been a case of serious side-effects. Not one case," defense minister Lewis Moodie tells the BBC. But Tony Flint of the Gulf War Veterans and Families Association says, "From what we have learnt so far, members of the Parachute Regiment have already had the anthrax vaccine, and they are reporting to us that they are getting side-effects." British veterans groups say some 3,000 of the 40,000 members of their military who served in the Gulf War have reported illnesses associated with the inoculations they received during the conflict.

US counties better prepared for bioterrorism but need more money
A new survey of US counties indicates that local public health programs are improved but remain vulnerable without sustained federal funding. The survey, conducted by the National Association of Counties and the National Association of County and City Health Officials, shows that about four of five responding counties are better prepared to respond to a bioterror attack than they were a year ago, when more than 90% said they were not prepared. "If Congress abandons public health financially, the safety of the entire nation is at risk," says Larry Naake, NACo executive director. Five hundred responses from 44 states say they face budget shortfalls despite more than $1 billion funding from the federal government. Fifty-one percent of public health agencies reported that 20% or less of funds for bioterrorism came from local government sources. More than 2,600 public health departments nationwide participated in the survey.

Seventh arrest made in London ricin investigation
British police arrest a seventh man connected to their discovery of ricin in a London apartment. "The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation by the anti-terrorist branch and is linked to Sunday's arrests of six others. At this stage we are unable to give further information," say Metropolitan Police in a statement. Speculation is mounting that the ricin was to be used in an assassination attempt on a leading figure such as Prime Minister Tony Blair or in random attacks to spread mass panic. Police continue to search the property on High Road, Wood Green.

Jan 7

Al-Qaida may be more geared toward bioweapons than we thought
A US intelligence report says discoveries in Afghanistan reveal that al-Qaida is more advanced in biological weaponry than previously assumed by the United States. Though terrorists prefer conventional bombs and methods of attack, they are increasingly pursuing poisons and disease and other biological weapons, according to the report. "Nonstate actors are becoming more interested in the potential of using biological warfare as a relatively inexpensive way to inflict serious damage," it cautions. CIA Director George J. Tenet submitted the unclassified report to Congress. It? covers various countries' advances in nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, long-range missiles, and high-tech conventional weapons in late 2001.

Six arrested in London in connection with ricin discovery
A London antiterrorist search turns up a small quantity of the deadly toxin ricin and results in arrests of six men on suspicion of terrorism, say London police. The suspects being questioned by authorities include some teenagers and are all of North African origin. Ricin, made from castor beans, is relatively easy to produce and stockpile, can be ground up and sprayed as an aerosol, added to food or drinks, or injected into a victim, experts say. It has no treatment or vaccine. The CDC places it on its "B" list, meaning it is relatively easy to disseminate and is a moderate threat. Victims of strong doses typically experience a few days of flulike symptoms followed by organ and immune system failure and death.

Anthrax survivor sues postal managers
Washington postal worker Leroy Richmond files a $100 million civil suit against Postmaster General John E. Potter and two postal managers, contending that they endangered his life by neglecting to close his workplace quickly and misleading employees about the danger of infection after the discovery of anthrax spores. Richmond, a Brentwood Road employee, survived life-threatening inhalation anthrax after being exposed through contaminated mail. "This is about finding some justice and closure in this case," says Richmond at a news conference announcing the lawsuit. The suit asserts that Potter, the Brentwood plant manager, and the Washington postmaster, acted with "deliberate indifference" to Richmond's safety by neglecting to take proper precautions following the anthrax mailings. The suit says that the officials' actions violated Richmond's Fifth Amendment right to equal protection.

Jan 6

Kuwait requests smallpox vaccine from US
Fearful of a rataliatory biological attack should the American military take action against Iraq, Kuwait's government is looking for smallpox vaccine for its citizens, according to Kuwait's ambassador to the United States. "We have had a request to the CDC for about three months to supply the needed vaccines," Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah tells USA Today. Llelwyn Grant, a spokesman for the CDC, says he could not confirm that the request had been received. As a US ally, Kuwait could become the target of Iraq's biological warfare program. War in Iraq is not "inevitable," but "time is running out" for Iraq to comply with United Nations' requirements to end any programs to build biological, chemical or nuclear weapons, according to the ambassador.

Jan 5

Strings on federal contracts violate some universities' policies
Universities and other members of the science community express concern that increasing amounts of federal research money are coming with strings attached, reports the Associated Press. The government's attempt to keep sensitive information away from terrorists is already causing some universities to turn down lucrative contracts because they violate long-standing policies of protecting foreign students from being treated differently. "Those are deal-breaker issues for us," says Paul Powell, a federal contract negotiator for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. About half of US university graduate students studying physical sciences and engineering come from abroad, and the Bush administration and scientists are working to balance openness against fears that all types of research, including how to make biological weapons, could help terrorists. "The whole atmosphere under which we work was affected by September 11," says Richard Seligman, who negotiates government contracts at the California Institute of Technology.

Jan 4

Volunteers in Utah help expand VIG stockpile
Hundreds of Utah residents agree to have smallpox vaccinations as part of a government-run program to extract human plasma containing antibodies to the virus. Program participants must first be vaccinated in order to develop the needed antibodies. More than 500 Utahans are receiving between $500 and $1,000 to take part in the program offered by Serologicals Corp., which reports few serious side effects. "We've had a couple of participants end up in the emergency room after they reported pain in the lymph nodes . . . so we sent them to get checked out," Serological's administrator for plasma-donor operations Jolette Franco told the Salt Lake Tribune. State and local health departments and hospitals cannot implement their smallpox response plans until enough antidote to cover the vaccine's potential side effect has been produced. The Serologicals program will collect antibody-filled plasma to make vaccinia immune globulin, or VIG, for treating such side effects. The VIG stockpile now stands at 2,700 doses, enough to cover anticipated reactions for 27 million smallpox vaccinations.

Smallpox vaccination program siphons crucial public health funds
State and local health departments across the country expect to cut services ranging from cancer and tuberculosis screening to children's dental examinations in order to administer President Bush's smallpox vaccination program. Interviews with health officials nationwide indicate that much of the $940 million allocated by Congress to the Department of Health and Human Services for bioterrorism preparedness has already been used to respond to the 2001 anthrax threats. The costs of the new smallpox program will mean shortages in existing programs. The likelihood of additional federal money remains unclear. "We understand the need to be prepared, but the load for doing this is falling principally on local health departments, and we're not getting additional funding," says Dr. Lloyd F. Novick, president of the New York State Association of County Health Officials, in a New York Times interview. The CDC says the vaccination program will drain resources and cause delays at some local health departments. "This is the price of preparedness," says Dr. Ed Thompson, the CDC's deputy director for public health programs and services.

Jan 3

Canadian anthrax scare subsides
Powder found in letters addressed to Canada's firearms registry are found to be negative for anthrax. Two postal workers had been sent to the hospital for examinations. The event is being considered a hoax at this point. New legislation requiring firearms registration by the start of 2003 has been controversial in Canada.

Hospital in Washington State says nix to smallpox vaccinations
Another hospital, this one in Washington State, joins two others announced recently that will not be participating in the campaign to vaccinate healthcare workers. Safety and liability issues appear to be key, with particular concerns over replacing workers made sick by the vaccinations and over who would pay were a patient to be harmed by exposure to a vaccinated healthcare worker.

Kansas sets schedule for smallpox vaccination launch
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announces that voluntary smallpox vaccinations for healthcare workers in several Kansas clinics will begin about February 10. A majority of the hospitals originally asked initially by the department in that state have agreed to participate. The vaccination plan in Kansas calls for 43 teams of healthcare workers to be vaccinated.

Jan 2

Iraqi government claims inspections have failed to bear fruit
After 5 weeks of visits to about 230 sites, UN weapons inspectors have failed to uncover any weapons of mass destruction or evidence of prohibited activities, says Lt. Gen. Hussam Muhammad Amin, chief Iraqi liaison to the inspectors. However, a formal UN report of the inspections is not due until Jan 27, and chief inspector Hans Blix has previously stated that Iraq's disclosures on disposition of weapons have been incomplete and perhaps inaccurate.

For other months' installments, go to the Bioterrorism Watch index page