Wednesday July 25 08:13 PM EDT

Researcher Infected With Bio-Warfare Agent

By Matthew Tokson http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/abc/...re010725_1.html

An Army microbiologist was infected with Glanders — an often fatal disease — while working on a research project developed to understand and treat potential bio-warfare diseases. The study raises concerns about America's readiness if germ warfare erupts.

A half-century old biological weapon infected an Army microbiologist, raising concerns about America's vulnerability to resistant forms of germ warfare. The report comes out on the same day that the United States rejected a U.N. draft treaty designated to aid an accord on germ warfare.

The microbiologist was infected while working on a research project at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md. It was part of the Army's efforts to understand and treat potential bio-warfare diseases. The incident is reported in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

"This case demonstrates the potential problems that doctors may have in identifying bio-warfare agents that are seldom encountered and may be misidentified by conventional medical tests," the researchers wrote in the report.

Physicians were able to identify and treat the infected biologist within 24 to 48 hours because they had a good idea of what agents he was exposed to, according to Arjun Srinivasan, a member of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Division of Infectious Diseases team that provided treatment.

"Because of where he worked and the kinds of diseases he may have been exposed to, the patient was kept in isolation when he first arrived at [Johns Hopkins Hospital], meaning we had to wear full suits, masks and gloves at all times when exposed to the patient" said Srinivasan.

Bio-Warfare and the U.S.

The U.S. Army microbiologist was infected with Burkholderia mallei , which causes an often fatal disease known as Glanders. Probably the 20th-century's first bio-weapon, Glanders was used by German undercover agents who infected the livestock of Allied countries with the highly contagious B. mallei agent. The biologist was successfully treated with a combination of the antibiotics imipenem and doxycycline.

While the nonresistant form of Glanders posed little risk once the disease was diagnosed, the incident raised questions about the safety of Americans in the event of a bio-terrorist attack. "Without knowing this patient's unique occupational history, our ability to respond to a Glanders infection would have been greatly reduced, " said Srinivasan. "The test that eventually identified the B. mallei bacteria is not a routinely performed test." Another concern raised in the report is that hostile nations may try to develop an aerosolized form of Glanders resistant to antibiotics, according to researchers.

A spokesperson at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases Public Affairs Office confirmed that the Institute is seeking to develop treatments for these types of weapons.

"Our institution is mostly concerned with developing medical countermeasures for biological weapons, primarily vaccines and diagnostic tools, and perhaps some treatments," said the spokesperson.

"The U.S. Army's interest in studying these agents is a purely defensive one," the spokesperson said. "There hasn't been an offensive biological weapon program in the United States since 1969."

Experts propose preventative measures that include 24-hour nationwide health hot lines and hospital containment plans for bio-warfare agents.

"The more emergency procedures are in place and rehearsed before the next complex public health emergency occurs, the better our nation will fare," wrote Ali Khan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an editorial on bio-terrorism that accompanies the Glanders report.

An Early Bio-Weapon Glanders originated in horses and led to several fatal infections in humans around the turn of the 20th century before an international program of slaughtering infected animals all but eliminated the disease. When the 33-year-old microbiologist was diagnosed with Glanders in March 2000, it was the first reported human case in more than 50 years.

He initially complained of fever and eventually developed multiple abscesses and respiratory difficulties so severe that he had to be put on a ventilator.

According to Srinivasan, every precaution was taken with the potentially contagious patient.

The biologist was infected through skin contact with the B. mallei bacteria. According to the case report, the patient did not routinely wear latex gloves despite his high-risk work environment.

"He developed an abscess in his underarm area, which suggests that the disease was transmitted through the hand or between the fingers," Srinivasan confirmed. "Previous research indicated that Glanders can be transmitted through the skin even in the absence of cuts or skin abrasions, and that a significant percentage of transmission occurs without a recognized exposure."

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001