My dealings with anthrax biochemical wrafare preparation have been an
education. At an interagency meeting of key individuals at the health
authority:Some key people were not there as the notification for the meeting
was by email only and was binned by some who did not recognise the address
of sender.Some people who should have been notified were not.
The discussion failed to highlight a source of good clinical data on
recognition and treatment of patients. I have since found www.phls.co.uk to
be invaluable and have printed off the chapters on anthrax, botulism, plague
and smallpox (as medline search highlighted these to be the most likely
agents biologically). I have emailed the department of health indicating
that notification of this significant resource would help in earlier
preparations.Can anyone who has attended the SIMS course(not MIMMs)tell me
how valuable it is.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Doc Holiday [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 2:33 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Anthrax
Well, I guess it was bound to happen...
Has anyone yet, outside the USA (UK/OZ/NZ/etc.), had any dealings with the
Anthrax issue yet? Just yesterday, found myself with it as a plausible
differential for the first time. Still awaiting final results.
Have had one prior "public relations scare" with a DHL office here calling
in the police when one team was "exposed" to white powder which spilled out
of a box being processed. Quite a bit of panic and about 27 people swabbed
before it came out that this was a fine, floury, white powder, not similar
even in characteristics to an Anthrax source. Latest news is that it WAS a
"clandestine" powder, but for recreational use... Someone's investment down
the drain...
I cannot describe the actual case, as I have not had patient's approval for
this, but the sputum sample does contain a few large Gram +ve Bacilli but
also "misxed organisms". Suspected mainly Pneumococcus, but, if it is
Anthrax, it will show up by today in its culture morphology, but no-one is
holding their breath with excitement.
Anyone with other experiences?
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