Will an outbreak start at the CDC in Atlanta GA when the power goes off? How many other sites around the country have dangerous pathogen stored near a large city? How many of you think an outbreak could happen and what would be the number of dead? Another question is will it spread to the whole country? I live near the CDC and it makes me scared. IF you live near one of these sites let us know please.

-- Steve Bell (JVin470924@aol.com), December 19, 1998

Answers

okay, Steve, since you live in that area, looks like you probably have some homework to do. Obviously CDC maintains fairly good security and sterilization, or y'all would be dead already. That being the case, it seems to me that the y2k related questions you might want to ask are:

1. Where are the CDC folks in their own y2k remediation program?

2. What sort of backup facillities does the CDC have, and what are their contingency plans (and they most assuredly do have emergency contingency plans in place for a securty breach)?

3. What is their contingency for dealing with the possibility of an extended loss of electrical power and other utilities?

If you can find the answers to those questions they should give you a reasonably good picture of what to expect in an emergency...be it y2k, or a really bad tornado for that matter...

Arlin Adams

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), December 19, 1998.

Here's a charming little news item re anthrax:

http://www.cbs.com/navbar/n ews.html

Iraq's Hidden Threat

Iraq Armed Warheads With Anthrax
* Iraq Falsified Its Biological Supply Imports
* Iraq Failed To Deliver Weapons Documentation

(CBS) When United Nations weapons inspectors pulled out of Iraq Wednesday, they left never knowing the full extent of Iraq's biological weapons program...

When the inspectors left they knew only that Iraq had armed five missile warheads with Botulinum toxin, a lethal toxin which kills by paralyzing muscles, and 16 warheads with deadly Anthrax.

... Anthrax is a particularly fearsome weapon.

"If you get infected, the chances of survival, without treatment or ...preventive measures, are essentially nil. It is that deadly," says Friedlander.

In addition to the missile warheads, Iraq was developing aerial bombs and drop tanks to deliver biological agents and in 1988 successfully tested a helicopter-borne sprayer which could have carried Anthrax, botulinum or other toxins.
....
In a report earlier this year, the United Nations concluded Iraq had imported enough supplies to make 3 to 5 times as much Anthrax as it admitted to.

And, since even a small amount of Anthrax is needed to kill everyone in a city the size of Chicago, those agents could easily be hidden in places inspectors would never find them.

John Roberts, Copyright 1998, CBS Worldwide Inc.
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 19, 1998.

Steve:

I'd certainly be concerned about the D.C. vicinity too....what with all the fetid, gasbag occupants & hot air billowing out into the pristine Maryland & Virginia countryside.

-- Charles R. (chuck_roast@trans.net), December 19, 1998.

As a longtime DC resident and political reporter, I'm certainly hoping the nearby area will be safe. As for petro&chem Y2K leaks, I will have an article up at www.wired.com tomorrow on precisely this issue. more at: http://www.well.com/user/declan/y2k/

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com), December 19, 1998.

Sorry, but something about this really bothers me. Shades of Agent Orange? Could well explain why bomb Iraq, and why now. (Read somewhere someone thinks the mark of the beast is a vaccine). Hummm. We need the input from a really good Y2K saavy doctor. -- Diane, not feeling particularly merry this season, after exploring this stuff.

Medical NBC Defense http://www.nbc-med.org/others/

Highlights:

Anthrax -- What you should know. Anthrax is a threat! U.S. Forces can be protected! A safe vaccine is available!

http://www.nbc-med.org/SiteContent/HomePage/WhatsNew/anthraxinfo/ Anthraxinfo3.htm

Anthrax is a highly lethal biological weapon.

"Vaccination against anthrax is a safe, prudent force protection measure."

William S. Cohen, Secretary of Defense

What is the threat?

Biological weapons are maintained by several countries around the world. Use of these weapons could cause widespread illness among unprotected personnel.

Anthrax is the biological weapon most likely to be encountered because it is:

 Highly lethal  Easy to produce in large quantities  Relatively easy to develop as a weapon  Easily spread over a large area  Easily stored and dangerous for a long time

What is anthrax?

Anthrax is a disease normally associated with plant-eating animals (sheep, goats, cattle, and to a lesser degree swine). It is caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis. Once common where livestock were raised, it is now controlled through animal vaccination programs. Anthrax still occurs in countries where animals are not vaccinated, mainly in Africa and Asia. It does occur infrequently in many countries, including the United States.

Human infection with anthrax usually results from direct contact with infected animals, or animal products such as wool, meat or hides. However, when anthrax is used as a biological weapon, people become infected by breathing anthrax that is released into the air.

Inhalation anthrax is the disease that results from breathing anthrax.

Symptoms of inhalation anthrax can begin as early as 24 hours after breathing the spores. Initial symptoms include: fever, cough, and weakness and usually progress to breathing problems, shock, and death.

Why Vaccinate?

Vaccines prevent illness by stimulating the bodys natural disease- fighting abilities. They are among the most powerful tools developed by modern medicine for keeping people healthy. Vaccines are routinely used in the United States to protect against diseases such as mumps, measles, whooping cough, and polio. As part of medical protection, personnel are given additional vaccines to protect against naturally occurring diseases encountered when serving overseas, such as typhoid, hepatitis, and yellow fever. Vaccines also help protect against biological weapons.

A safe and effective licensed vaccine against anthrax is available. The Department of Defense has established a vaccination program to protect personnel against anthrax.

What is the anthrax vaccine?

The anthrax vaccine is used to protect people against anthrax. This vaccine contains no living organisms. The anthrax vaccine is not new. Human anthrax vaccine was developed over 40 years ago and has been routinely used in the U.S. since 1970, when the Food and Drug Administration licensed it. This vaccine has been safely and routinely administered in the United States to veterinarians, laboratory workers, and livestock handlers.

Facts about the anthrax vaccine:

 Vaccination is a critical part of protection against infection  Manufactured in the United States  Safely used for more than 25 years  As with other vaccinations, pain may occur at the site of injection  Temporary side effects (sore arm, redness, and slight swelling) may occur  No known long term side effects  Six shots are required over 18 months, followed by an annual booster

Commonly asked questions and answers:

Q: Why are we getting this vaccine?

A: Anthrax is a lethal weapon we may encounter. Vaccination before exposure is a critical part of our protection against this weapon.

Q: Is the vaccine all I need to protect against inhalation anthrax?

A: Being fully vaccinated greatly increases your chances of surviving an exposure to anthrax. Your chances are further improved by other measures, especially the proper use of the protective mask.

Q: Is this an experimental vaccine?

A: No, the vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 1970 (License No. 99, 1970).

Q: Is this vaccine safe?

A: Yes, this vaccine has been safely and routinely administered in the U. S. to veterinarians, laboratory workers, and livestock handlers since 1970. No reports of significant adverse effects have been received by the producer, the Michigan Biologic Products Institute.

Q: Is there anyone who should not receive the vaccine?

A: Anthrax vaccine should be administered only to healthy men and women from 18-65 years of age because investigations to date have been conducted exclusively in that population.

Q: What if I am pregnant?

A: Pregnant women should not receive this vaccine. If you are or believe that you may be pregnant, you should inform your health care provider. The vaccination program will be deferred until the pregnancy is complete. However if you become exposed to anthrax, you will be vaccinated for your protection.

Q: What other medical conditions should I inform the medical staff about?

A: If you have an active infection or are taking a prescription medicine, inform your health care provider before taking this shot.

Q: The anthrax vaccine was administered to personnel deployed in the Gulf War. Has the anthrax vaccine been linked to illnesses among Gulf War veterans?

A: No. Several national scientific groups, including the National Academy of Sciences, have addressed this issue and have found no evidence to link anthrax vaccine with illnesses among Gulf War veterans.

Q: How many shots will I have to take?

A: Six shots, three given two weeks apart followed by three additional injections given at 6, 12 and 18 months. An annual booster shot is required to maintain ongoing immunity.

Q: What are the side effects?

A: As with other vaccinations, pain may occur at the site of injection. Temporary side effects (sore arm, redness, and slight swelling) may occur. The vaccine has been in use since 1970 with no known long term side effects.

Q: How can I get more information about anthrax vaccine?

A: Your supervisor will have more information. In addition, more information on the anthrax vaccine can be accessed at the website:

Other interesting sites to explore:

http://www.defenselink.mil/other_info/protection.html#Anthrax

Or...

Emergency Net http://www.emergency.com/ ERRI Emergency Response & Research Institute

Is proud to announce our New Y2K (Year2000) Page 10/30/98 --Click here to visit our newest emergency planning resource http:// www.emergency.com/y2kpage.htm

Or...

http://www.y2ksupply.com/index.asp?PageID=120Cities

120 cities targeted by terrorists

This is the official list of the 120 cities now being considered by the military as potential terrorist targets. Some of these cities are being stockpiled with Anthrax vaccines by order of the President (from early 1998).(List taken from the "Domestic Preparedness" page at: http://www.cbdcom.apgea.army.mil/Missions/dp/fs_120c.html)

(The ultimate goal of the Domestic Preparedness Team is to train and assess 120 cities.)

Or...

http://www.sbccom.apgea.army.mil/ops/dp/dp_overview.html Domestic Preparedness Program Overview

The Domestic Preparedness initiative was formed under FY 1997 Defense Authorization Bill (Public Law 104-201, September 23, 1996), commonly called the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici legislation. The bill provides funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) to enhance the capability of federal, state and local emergency responders in incidents involving nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism.

The U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM), Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the center of DOD's chemical and biological expertise, is the lead DOD agency charged with enhancing existing metropolitan response capabilities to include nuclear, chemical and biological incidents. Six separate training courses have been developed to accomplish this task: Awareness, Operations, Technician-HAZMAT, Technician-Emergency Medical Service, Hospital Provider and Incident Command.

Training is arranged by a federal interagency team comprised of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Public Health Service and Department of Defense. Initially, team representatives explain their role and capabilities to the city. The city then schedules training and determines which classes are best suited for the community's emergency responders. The team expects to train one-hundred twenty cities during the next three years. Twenty-seven cities had received visits from the federal team coordinators by the end of fiscal year, September 30, 1997....

Note: The federal partners include:

Department of Defense (DOD) Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Health Service (PHS)

Other related links...

Rapid Response Information System (RRIS) - [http://www.fema.gov/rris/ ]

The RRIS can be used as a research vehicle, training aid, and an overall planning and training resource for response to a chemical, biological and/or nuclear terrorist incident. The RRIS was established and will be maintained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency....

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)http://www.cdc.gov/

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 20, 1998.

Art Bell had a guest about 6 weeks ago who believed that the "mark" was vacine mark - but believed it to a new vacine against Aids, not anthrax. His (the guest) also felt very strongly that the vacine would fails, and in failing cause many times the deaths that aids (if it were speading unassisted by the vacination) would have caused.

No knowledge about CDC - No One, repeat no one, in Atlanta (at any level at the city or county level) has even _mentioned_ Y2K.

State level, there is just slight glimmers of some publicity - and all of the publicly available information is *bad news*: very old computers, slow programming changes started late, no testing at yet, no public awareness, no alternative programs, nor any commotion yet.

For example, the incoming governor just found out Wednesday that the state doesn't have an integrated plan yet to assess Y2K yet.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 20, 1998.

I watched a very interesting report on CNN a few months back about unknown viruses. People die all the time from them and it's just not made public. The CDC has them stored at their facility. It was an eye opening story.

-- Anti-Chainsaw (Tree@hugger.com), December 20, 1998.

>120 cities targeted by terrorists

>This is the official list of the 120 cities now being considered by the military as potential terrorist targets. Some of these cities are being stockpiled with Anthrax vaccines by order of the President (from early 1998).

The list, which appears to me to be similar to a list of the 120 most-populous cities of the U.S., is at http://www .sbccom.apgea.army.mil/ops/dp/fs_120c.html.

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), December 21, 1998.

The thought did occur to me that the CDC would be an advantageous place to blow up, if one was a terrorist. Send alot of those tiny little bugs into the atmosphere...in a matter of a split second. Scarey....

PS The mark of the beast is not a virus...one of the requirements is that people have to Worship to recieve it..I don't think so TIM

-- More Dinty Moore (Not @this time.com), December 21, 1998.

oops, before everyone starts furiously typing...I meant vaccine for a virus.....ok?

-- More Dinty Moore (Not @this time.com), December 21, 1998.

Lets hope it gets you and no-one else.

Just what is it that you do?

-- Steve Bell (JVin470924@aol.com), December 21, 1998.

Get a life or failing that the virus.

-- William Chittum (chittum@aol.com), December 21, 1998.

The question at the top is mine but another person has used my name .Sorry Dinty Moore from the real Steve Bell.

-- Steve Bell (JVin470924@aol.com), December 21, 1998.

No Spam Please,

What I also noticed in common about those 120 cities is that most of them have airports.

I suspect it may also be a potential Y2K list for targeted "martial law" cities.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 21, 1998.

http://www.tamp abayonline.net/news/news101p.htm

12/21/98 -- 8:18 PM, AP
Anthrax Threat Forces Evacuations At Calif. Courthouses

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A telephoned anthrax threat forced as many as 1,500 people to be quarantined for several hours on Monday at two courthouses before it was found to be a hoax.

A man called the 911 emergency line at about 11 a.m. and stated ``I have something to tell you - anthrax has been released in the Van Nuys courthouse,'' then hung up, said Laura Bosley, a spokeswoman for the FBI.

The old and new Superior Court buildings in Van Nuys were sealed off and up to 1,500 people taken outside and isolated to determine whether they were exposed to any hazardous materials, authorities said. Hazardous materials crews with face masks, air tanks and protective suits were sent inside.

``They did an investigation and nothing was found,'' said Jim Wells, a spokesman for the city Fire Department.
No major injuries or illnesses were reported.

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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 21, 1998.

http://www.tamp abayonline.net/news/news101x.htm

Leptospirosis Kills 7 in Kazakstan

MOSCOW (AP) - An outbreak of a disease spread by rodents has killed at least seven people and infected more than 2,000 in eastern Kazakstan, health officials in the central Asian nation said Monday.

The city of Ust-Kamenogorsk has been worst hit by leptospirosis, which causes liver and kidney failure. Authorities have ordered stores, apartments and offices be disinfected, the ITAR-Tass news agency cited the regional health department as saying.
....
The cash-strapped regional government has allocated $24,000 to combat the outbreak, and local doctors have asked neighboring Russia for help, ITAR-Tass said.
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 21, 1998.

Indpls had several anthrax threats about a month ago. None were legitimate but it caused a lot of stress with those incubated.

-- More Dinty Moore (Not @this time.com), December 22, 1998.

A good fictional read for a basic primer is Richard Preston's The Cobra Event.

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), December 23, 1998.