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"The
SAS can indicate the presence of an aerosol that could cross contaminate the
site...." From Bioscience World,
Summer 2000
SAS
Goes to War Against Bioterrorism
By Bioscience Staff
Anthrax...plague...smallpox...botulinum... invasive killers, once
subdued by medical technology, are revived by the advance of germ warfare.
Where it strikes is a guess. A truck driving past a crowded resort or
small plane swooping over a sold-out stadium could bear a deadly aerosol
release.
Cases of bioterrorism reported to a major government facility have
doubled yearly over the past five years. This rise in episodes spurred
funding for the CDC to set up the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) for
Bioterrorism. Richard B. Kellogg, Interagency Liaison and Laboratory
Coordinator for LRN at the CDC, said the LRN is building a multi-level
network of local, State and Federal partners to prepare and respond to an
act of terrorism. At Level A, community hospitals with diagnostic facilities
equipped with reagents and assays screen samples collected by the FBI or
local law enforcement agencies. At Level B, state health departments confirm
sample credibility. A credible sample shifts to a Level C center, designed
for specific agents, such as plague, anthrax, or smallpox. An identified
sample moves to Level D labs. If the FBI detects a credible threat, e.g.
smallpox, the sample bypasses the first three tiers and shoots directly to
Level D.
Level D labs, much like forensic labs, document and file records in the
event of a court subpoena. In one such facility, the SAS Air Sampler will be
used to ensure that there is no cross-contamination between areas of the
lab. Through a protocol for quality control monitoring, the test will begin
with a clean lab of disinfected countertops, floors and hoods. The air
sampler will be run and the disinfecting cycle repeated until the site is
clean and ready for the test. This protocol with SAS is designed to affirm
whether the safety procedures work. The SAS can indicate the presence of an
aerosol that could cross contaminate the site.
Community hospitals can participate in the LRN by reaching the CDC at
www.bt.cdc.gov.
Further information on counter-terrorism
aerosol sampling is available in our SAS Application Note #35.
For More Information Contact:
Bioscience International
11607 Magruder Lane, Rockville MD 20852-4365
Tel: 301-230-0072
FAX: 301-230-1418
Internet: BioInfo@Biosci-Intl.com
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