September 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.

Sep 30

NIH funds 11 new labs for bioterror research
The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases announces funding for construction of 11 new biocontainment laboratories, 2 of them national and 9 regional. Each national lab will receive about $120 million and each regional lab $7 to $21 million. The labs will complement and support work of NIAID's newly funded Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (see Sep 4 item below). (See CIDRAP News story.)

UK company receives NIAID contract for improved anthrax vaccine
Avecia, a private United Kingdom company, receives a $71.3 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 3 million doses of a new recombinant anthrax vaccine. Baxter Healthcare, which already supplies vaccine to the US government, assisted Avecia with the contract. The new vaccine is designed to provide protection with three or fewer doses, even if given after exposure; the current vaccine requires six injections given over 18 months. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Millions of computers help in tracking down smallpox cure
The Department of Defense receives results of work toward a smallpox treatment that was carried out on 2.4 million computers in 190 countries. The donated computer time helped whittle 35 million potential smallpox drug molecules down to a few thousand that will now be looked at in more detail by federal scientists. The program ran during computer downtime, providing "more computing power than the entire pharmaceutical industry," according to a key organizer of the program, dubbed Smallpox Research Grid. The grid computing method of analysis has unlimited potential for large research projects, say insiders.

Sep 29

Progress reported on disarming botulinum toxin
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin announce their discovery of how botulinum toxin enters human cells. This knowledge could help in the development of new treatments for botulism. They also claim to have developed "decoys" that attract the toxin away from cells. Their research appears in today's issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.

NIAID report tracks progress in bioterror research
A progress report on biodefense research since early 2002 is issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. It "describes myriad steps the Institute has taken . . . to catalyze the development of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for the most threatening bioterror agents," according to a press release. The report covers progress on recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel on Bioterrorism and its Implications for Biomedical Research convened in February 2002 and on research into the Category A pathogens. "The increased breadth and depth of biodefnese research not only is helping us become better prepared to protect citizens against a deliberately introduced pathogen, it also is helping us tackle the continuous tide of naturally occurring emerging infections such as SARS and West Nile Virus," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, MD. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Anthrax-plague vaccine work receives DoD backing
AVANT Immunotherapeutics announces that the company will receive $3 million in Defense Department money to continue development of an oral combination anthrax-plague vaccine. The vaccine is the most technologically advanced of any vaccines under development by the federal government, the company claims. AVANT expects the funding to carry the drug's preclinical development phase to near completion.

Improved anthrax vaccine among products receiving NIAID funding
Dynavax is awarded $8.4 million from  the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for work on three products for preventing and treating infectious diseases that could result from an act of terrorism—an improved anthrax vaccine that provides rapid protective immunity, an influenza vaccine for controlling a pandemic flu outbreak, and an aerosolized product to enhance the lung's ability to respond to infections from airborne pathogens. All three products are to be based on the company's second-generation ISS (ImmuynoStimulatory DNA Sequence) technology. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Sep 26

GAO testimony claims gaps in surveillance for bioterrorist attacks
Better tracking and monitoring of public health trends nationwide are necessary to fill gaps in US preparedness for a bioterrorism attack, says Janet Heinrich, director of public health issues for the General Accounting Office, in testimony before the House Select Committee on Homeland Secirity's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness. Surveillance systems that are able to move information quickly from local personnel to national officials are essential, according to Heinrich. Currently, systems suffer from "chronic underreporting and outdated laboratory facilities," she says.

Science 'stars' work on microbial forensics
A group of 35 top academics and federal scientists has been brought together by the FBI to collaborate on finding new and better ways of identifying the perpetrators of germ attacks through the new science of microbial forensics. This type of forensics aims at determining where an organism arose by analyzing its features and then tracing it back to the source. Bruce Budowle of the FBI and eight of the researchers report on their work in today's issue of Science.

Sep 25

DHS solicits innovation on biological and chemical detectors
The US Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology division announces release of the first Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) research announcement solicitation. It outlines DHS's technological requirements in the area of detection systems for biological and chemical countermeasures. HSARPA is expected to develop revolutionary changes in technologies that support homeland security, to advance those technologies which are "critical," and to "accelerate the prototyping and deployment of technologies" that reduce homeland vulnerabilities, according to a press release.

Anthrax, poisoning of food are major threats to US, say experts
The main biological threat in the United States remains anthrax, and poisons intentionally put in the food supply run second, says Jerome Hauer, assistant secretary for health and emergency response at HHS, at a conference on weapons of mass destruction hosted by E.J. Krause & Associates. Lester Crawford, deputy commissioner of the FDA, says that every food contamination incident is now treated as a terrorism incident or a rehearsal for one, according to a Reuters report.

Sep 24

Florida anthrax widow files suit against government
Maureen Stevens, widow of the first victim of the 2001 anthrax attack files a wrongful-death lawsuit in West Palm Beach, Fla., federal court. The suit claims that the government knew anthrax samples were missing from a US Army lab in Fort Detrick, Md., and was negligent in failing to secure them, according to a story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Stevens' attorney plans to use the subpoena power afforded by filing the suit to try and obtain documents that have so far been unavailable and to produce witnesses to corroborate the negligence theory.

Athens rehearses security plans for 2004 Olympic games
Mock biological and chemical attacks are staged in Athens as preparation for the 2004 Olympic games. Security is the top priority at the games, say organizers. The security plan, which will cost $600 million, is the largest in Olympic history. It will involve more than 45,000 security personnel, three times as many as in the 2000 games in Sydney. An Olympic security advisory group representing Spain, Germany, Britain, the United States, Israel, Australia, and France is at work with Greek planners.

Sep 23

Flu as a bioweapon being studied at Stanford
Stanford University scientists have received a $15 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to research influenza virus as a potential biological weapon and a new-generation vaccine to prevent it, reports a Newsday story. The virus, say the Stanford researchers, might be an ideal weapon because of its natural ability to rapidly mutate and spread. Current vaccines have to be updated continually to keep up with the pathogen's mutations, and they take weeks to stimulate immunity in the recipient. A vaccine to guard against flu as an agent of terrorism would have to be very different, say the researchers, and act in the respiratory tract within a matter of days.

Bush urges UN toward WMD resolution
President Bush calls upon the United Nations to adopt a resolution to prevent the spread of chemical, biological,and nuclear weapons. According to a Reuters report. Specifically, he said the resolution should criminalize the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, enact strict export controls that follow international standards, and secure sensitive materials within the borders of member nations. He offered US support in drafting and enforcing new laws.

Large portion of food industry unaware of/unprepared for upcoming registration requirements
Fifty percent of food industry officials do not know that all domestic and most foreign food manufacturing and distribution facilities have to register with the FDA by December 12. Another 21% know this fact but have not done any preparation. The registration is required as part of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. The online survey, which included 1,292 participants, was carried out by the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers University.

Sep 22

Anthrax drug gets DoD funding for further development
The US Department of Defense has directed $3.5 million in additional funding to Elusys Therapeutics to continue development of its anthrax drug ETI-205. The drug, which removes anthrax toxin from the bloodstream, has been shown to be highly effective in animals. It uses heteropolymer technology, which, the company claims, enhances the effectiveness of the body's own natural defense mechanisms to remove and destroy pathogens from the blood. It accomplishes this by chemically linking a monoclonal antibody specific to a receptor (CR-1) on red blood cells to another antibody that binds a targeted pathogen (in this case, anthrax toxin). The red blood cells then deliver the toxin to the liver for destruction.

Adminstration's plan for PHS Commissioned Corps faces heat
Public health officials are taking issue with the federal government's plan to turn the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps into "shock troops" for the war on bioterrorism, reports USA Today. Their concerns are that sending corps scientists on bioterrorism missions could damage other vitally important public health initiatives, such as work on West Nile, SARS, and AIDS. Members of the 6,000-member corp can now voluntarily go on biodefense missions, but under the new plan deployment would be mandatory—a requirement that could presumably discourage top scientists from joining.

Guide aims at dispelling myths surrounding bio/chem attack
A large group of doctors and scientists publish a book meant to counter the large amount of misinformation and panic that have spread since 9-11 and instead provide credible messages on preparing for possible chemical or biological attack. Titled the New Yorker's Guide to Terrorism Preparedness and Response, the paperback was edited by Ashley Dunston, Gilbert Ross, MD, and Elizabeth Whelan, ScD, MPH, and published by the American Council on Science and Health. Among the book's many instructs: Home radiation detectors are "a scam," and "You do not need duct tape."

Sep 19

Des Moines airport hold ricin drill
A mock ricin release in a plane that had to be landed at the Des Moines airport because of ill passengers is the scenario in a drill held not to see how quickly participants could react but how carefully they could follow a step-by-step plan of response. A few mistakes were noted, such as some exposed persons being sent to medics rather than first to a decontamination post and the county health department not being notified, according to a story in the Des Moines Register. The drill was a federally mandated exercise.

India fears ricin attack
The Times of India reports that security agents in their country have new concern that terrorists have learned from al-Qaeda to produce and use ricin and plan to use it in India. Some observers also suspect that recent outbreaks of "mysterious diseases" may be tests of biological weapons. Ricin, a di-chain ribosome-inactivating protein from the bean of Ricinis communis, the castor plant, is considered a potential agent of bioterrorism

Sep 18

Did Iraq ever have smallpox?
After a 3-month search and investigation in Iraq, "Team Pox," a group of six American biologists and virologists has turned up no evidence that Iraq was producing or stockpiling smallpox, according to an AP report. Equipment and facilities suspected of being involved have been found disabled or covered with cobwebs, and none of the Iraqi scientists interviewed said they had worked with smallpox or other agents that could be used as bioweapons. The team's findings do not dismiss the possibility that smallpox could still be found, one of officials interviewed pointed out, but a dead end seems to have been reached.

US looks to Thailand for research assistance
US scientists have asked peers in Thailand to assist them in research on Burkholderia pseudomallei, a deadly bacterium considered to be a possible agent of bioterrorism. The organism grows widely in soil and water in Thailand. It causes melioidosis, a serious infection causing about 5,000 deaths yearly in Thailand. B pseudomallei is resistant to many antibiotics, and there is no vaccine available. The Thai scientists have not yet responded to the US request, according to The Nation, a Thai newspaper.

Anthrax survivors still suffer
Most of the six survivors of inhalational anthrax in the 2001 postal attack continue to experience severe physical and psychological aftereffects, and all but one are unable to work, according to a Baltimore Sun article. Symptoms include weakness, memory problems, cold sweats, low-grade fever, and headaches. The survivors feel "lost in the shuffle" as they struggle over worker's compensation and medical bills, says the story, and they should be treated like those affected in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks since they also are victims of terrorism, claims the husband of one. Dr. Mary E. Wright of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is reportedly conducting a study of the anthrax survivors.

Sep 17

Large majority of cities have yet to see counterterrorism money
Ninety percent of cities have not yet received any federal funding for local emergency preparedness, according to a survey released today at the US Conference of Mayors. The survey included 168 cities, among them the nation's largest cities. The $1.5 billion in federal funds approved this year for preparing local emergency workers is not being held up at the federal level, the majors say at a news conference, but rather at the state level. "Cities are the first to respond in a crisis, but last in line for funds," says James A. Garner, president of the Conference of Mayors.

Five centers receive $85 million for biological defense research
Five new centers termed Cooperative Centers for Translational Research on Human Immunology and Biodefense are to be established with $85 million in funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The centers will be at Baylor Research Institute, Dallas; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston; Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta; Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.; and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Sep 15

U of Nebraska to research botulism vaccine
The University of Nebraska announces that its Biological Process Development Facility will receive $6.5 million of an $11 grant to develop a fermentation and purification process for a vaccine against botulinum neurotoxin, generally considered the most deadly toxin known and a potential agent of bioterrorism. The grant is from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dynport Vaccine Co. is leading the research team, which also includes the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and HTD Biosystems, Inc. (see item below).

Needle-free injector for mass innoculation applies for FDA approval
Medical International Technology, Inc., files an application with the FDA for regulatory clearance to market its MED-JET needle-free injector for human mass innoculations. The device could easily innoculate 600 people per hour during a crisis such as a bioterrorism attack, according to a press release. The low-pressure device has an advantage over alternative high-pressure devices in that it is less likely to cause blowback, exposing vaccinators and vaccinees to microscopic traces of blood, says the release. The device has already received approval in Canada.

US-Russian research partnership funded
A $1.7 million contract is announced by the US Department of State to support collaboration between the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology in Boston and the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow. The work of the two organizations will help fulfill the BioIndustry Initiative, a new State Department program aimed at countering the threat of bioterrorism through targeted transformation of former Soviet biological weapons research and production capacities, according to a department press release.

Sep 12

Terrorism alert system revamped
The Department of Homeland Security adopts tougher guidelines for raising the national color-coded alert level, established after 9-11 to warn of potential terrorist attacks. The current yellow ("elevated risk") level will rise to orange only if credible and detailed intelligence exists of imminent danger, according to a New York Times story. Tom Ridge, secretary of DHS, says the new guidelines represent a belief that the country is better prepared to respond to emergency events, allowing the threshold for upping the level to be raised. Critics of the alert system say the current system, in which the level has been raised several times, has caused financial hardship, fear, and confusion.

$26.6 million in federal grants awarded for bioterrorism training
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announces $26.6 million in grants to fund two initiatives in emergency preparedness: continuing education for health professionals and curriculum development in health professions schools. The grants are part of the $4.4 billion in federal money for fiscal year 2003 earmarked for bioterrorism perparedness. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Sep 11

US only half ready for bioterrorism, say experts at AMA meeting
Medical experts say the United States is only half prepared for a bioterrorism attack at the American Medical Association's annual science reporters' conference in Philadelphia. Of particular concern is local preparedness at the hospital level. Even if the number of available beds is adequate for an emergency, there must also be enough doctors, nurses, aids, antibiotics, and space for quarantining, says Dr. Jim James, one of the participants. Dr. Paul Pepe stressed that a new program of national, standardized training to begin shortly will afford medical personnel to improve their skills for such a disaster.

Sep 10

U of Chicago receives anthrax research grant
A grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the amount of $15.7 million is awarded to the University of Illinois at Chicago to develop drugs to treat and halt the spread of anthrax. The primary focus of the 4.5-year research will be to work on drugs that are effective against engineered anthrax organisms. The research team includes 10 experts in bacterial genetics and biochemistry, structural biology of macromolecules, computer-assisted drug design, synthetic chemistry, macrophage biology, animal modeling, and clinical infectious disease.

Sep 9

Agent to prevent/treat smallpox funded by NIAID
Chimerix, a small San Diego company, receives a grant in the amount of $36.1 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to further develop an oral drug to treat and perhaps prevent smallpox. The drug, called CMX-001, is a version of cidofovir and has so far been tested only in mice and only on diseases similar to smallpox. At present, live vaccine is the only pharmaceutical weapon against smallpox. CMX-001 would not replace the vaccine but would be used in unvaccinated people exposed to smallpox in an outbreak or attack.

Physicians feel unprepared but willing to help in bioterror attack
University of Chicago researchers release results of a physician survey carried out to determine the providers' readiness to deal with a bioterror attack. Four out of five physicians said they would be willing to assist patients in the event of a potentially deadly disease outbreak, but only 1 in 5 said they felt well prepared. Only 40% said they would treat a patient where there were the possibility of their contracting the disease, and this number fell to 33% when smallpox was specified as the disease. The survey results, published in today's issue of Health Affairs, are based on a poll of 1,000 physicians taken 4 months after the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Vulnerability of food supply discussed
USDA and food-industry representatives say at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society that the food supply is vulnerable to biological attacks but that is being made to reduce the danger. Food biosecurity has long been an issue, they say, but the focus now has to change from a theoretical to an actual danger. Security at USDA labs has been tightened, and a national inventory of pathogens has been established. The food-processing industry has increased background checks on employees as a security measure. Animal and plant diseases are a possible method of attack, the speakers point out, with the results of such attack being largely economic but potentially devastating.

Sep 8

International community's preparedness for smallpox attack tested
A 3-day exercise called Operation Global Mercury begins in Vancouver to test the ability of the global community to "effectively, efficiently, and rapidly share medical information among countries" about a fictitious smallpox outbreak, according to a Health Canada statement. Participating are the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, Mexico, and the European Commisssion. World Health Organization officials are acting as advisors.

Survey shows public expects terrorist attack but hasn't prepared
A survey released today finds that a large majority of Americans feel that another terrorist attack will occur, but fewer than 1 in 4 families have an emergency plan, and only about a fourth to a third believe their communities are prepared to fully respond to such an attack. Additionally, 9 out of 10 respondents said they would not evacuate their homes immediately if so ordered by authorities. The survey, based on responses from 1,300 adults from New York City and other regions in the country, was commissioned by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, in collaboration with the Children's Health Fund. Center Director Irwin Redlener and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, N.Y.) cite a lack of sufficient information and distrust of the information provided by government for the lack of public confidence displayed by the survey results.

Sep 5

Dually active anthrax vaccine in testing
Findings on a new anthrax vaccine that attacks both the bacteria itself and the toxin it produces are reported by a team from Harvard Medical School in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The current vaccine aims only at the toxin. The new dually active vaccine, tested in mice, introduces a vaccine design that may be widely applicable against infectious diseases and provides additional tools in medicine and biodefense, say the authors.

Fumigation test in New Jersey PO
The US Postal Service tests a fumigation system to decontaminate the Hamilton facility near Trenton, which has been closed since October 2001 because of anthrax-containing letters. Chlorine dioxide gas is to be used in the fumigation process. If  this test is successful, full fumigation will begin in November, with the facility scheduled to reopen in the spring of 2004.

Sep 4

Controversy arises over Texas scientist indicted in case of missing plague vials
Charges against Thomas C. Butler, the prominent Texas infectious disease researcher who was arrested and then indicted for reporting 30 vials of plague bacteria missing and then saying that he had destroyed them (see January 15, 16, and 26 items), expand to include mail fraud and embezzlement in connection with work he did for two pharmaceutical companies. Numerous colleagues as well as the Institute of Medicine and the National Academies of Science are protesting the handling of his case by the Department of Justice and seeking donations for his defense. His supporters claim the hard line being followed in the name of biosecurity will only discourage other researchers from doing bioterrorism-related research. The government's harsh treatment of Butler, some believe, is an attempt to save face in view of its failure to solve the anthrax letter case.

New anthrax-tracking method holds promise
Mass spectrometry can help the FBI track the origins of anthrax spores, reports an AScribe Newswire story. Researchers at the University of Maryland, who have a sophisticated mass spectrometry lab, developed the technique using nontoxic Bacillus spores. The method, which is highly sensitive and specific, looks at the compounds "stuck" on the outside of spores to determine their origin. The team's research was reported at an international conference and should be published soon in a scientific journal.

NIAID funds fast-track botulinum vaccine development
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announces an $11 million grant to the DynPort Vaccine Company for fast-track development of two botulinum vaccines. The grant covers development of a pentavalent vaccine within 2 years covering botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A, B, C, E, and F, and a heptavalent vaccine within 5 years covering serotypes D and G. Botulinum toxin is generally accepted as the deadliest naturally occurring substance known and is among the agents considered to be potential bioterror weapons.

HHS funds regional biodefense centers
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announces grants of $350 million over 5 years for the establishment of eight Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research. The group of multidisciplinary centers is a key element in the agency's strategic plan for biodefense research, according to an HHS press release. (See CIDRAP News story.)

NIAID grant for development of vaccines against bioterror diseases announced
The University of Maryland School of Medicine announces its selection as the lead institution in a group of institutions receiving $42 million over 5 years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop vaccines against anthrax, smallpox, and West Nile virus. The researchers will also study antibodies for short-term protection as well as better diagnostic tests and needle-free vaccinations for use in fast responses to bioterror attacks or disease outbreaks.

Sep 2

Voluntary smallpox vaccinations wouldn't "cut it," says study
Only about 19% of the public would voluntarily get smallpox vaccinations if given the choice, says a paper published in today's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, used game theory to estimate the numbers. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Checklist for telling anthrax from flu published
A paper published in today's issue of Annals of Internal Medicine lays out rules that can help physicians distinguish between anthrax and influenza or other viral infections. Accurate triage through use of the checklist is an important part of planning for a bioterrorist attack, say the authors. (See CIDRAP News story.)

States get $1.4 billion for preparedness activities
Tommy Thompson, secretary of HHS, announces that $1.4 billion in additional funding is available to the states, territories, and three metropolitan areas to help strenghten their capacity to respond to bioterrorism and to other public health emergencies, such as SARS and West Nile virus. HHS is spending $3.5 billion overall for bioterrorism preparedness in 2003, up from $1.8 in 2002. (See CIDRAP News story.)

New information on anthrax toxin
Toxins released by anthrax do not behave as previously believed, finds a study by researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The new information about the immune system's response to anthrax may redirect approaches to anthrax drug design. The study, done in mice, sheds light on the complex effects ot toxins on tissues. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Biological weapons reportedly a priority for bin Laden
A story in the Sep 8 Newsweek, released today, quotes a ranking Taliban source as saying that Osama bin Laden has made use of biological weapons a "priority" for future attacks. Al-Qaeda does possess such weapons, the source said, but needs to solve the problems of transport and launch of the weapons.

Sep 2

States get $1.4 billion for preparedness activities
Tommy Thompson, secretary of HHS, announces that $1.4 billion in additional funding is available to the states, territories, and three metropolitan areas to help strenghten their capacity to respond to bioterrorism and to other public health emergencies, such as SARS and West Nile virus. HHS is spending $3.5 billion overall for bioterrorism preparedness in 2003, up from $1.8 in 2002. (See CIDRAP News story.)

New information on anthrax toxin
Toxins released by anthrax do not behave as previously believed, finds a study by researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The new information about the immune system's response to anthrax may redirect approaches to anthrax drug design. The study, done in mice, sheds light on the complex effects ot toxins on tissues. (See CIDRAP News story.)

Biological weapons reportedly a priority for bin Laden
A story in the Sep 8 Newsweek, released today, quotes a ranking Taliban source as saying that Osama bin Laden has made use of biological weapons a "priority" for future attacks. Al-Qaeda does possess such weapons, the source said, but needs to solve the problems of transport and launch of the weapons.

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