FBI SAYS ANTHRAX GERMS MANMADE
The FBI believes the anthrax germs that killed a British-born editor were manmade. No further traces of anthrax have been found in the Florida office of 63-year-old Robert Stevens. Traces had been found on his computer keyboard and in the nose of co-worker Ernesto Blanco, 73. Hundreds of people are waiting for test results to learn whether they were exposed to anthrax at the Boca Raton headquarters of American Media. Some worked closely with Mr Stevens, who died of anthrax on Friday. Florida health department spokesman Tim O'Connor says Mr Blanco is in a good condition in hospital, and that there have been no additional cases of contamination. The source of the anthrax, which can be used as a biological weapon, is the subject of a federal investigation involving the FBI and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which has virtually ruled out environmental causes as the source. The FBI believes the strain that infected Stevens was manmade since it does not match any known naturally occurring version, law enforcement officials in Washington said. Officials say investigators have not found evidence of terrorism, though the manufactured nature of the bacteria suggests criminal activity may be involved. The AMI building has been shut down as FBI crews dressed in white moon suits and black oxygen masks remove bags of evidence.


The outbreak of Anthrax in Florida is looking increasingly like foul play, with the FBI warning it is almost certain it could not have occurred naturally.
Hundreds of people have been tested for the deadly bacteria, which has killed one man and infected a second.
Anthrax scares have flared across the US after a second case was detected in Florida.

Contamination
Several hundred people in Boca Raton have been tested for contamination after British-born journalist Robert Stevens died from the disease. The second man, mailroom employee Ernesto Blanco, has been exposed to the disease but has not contracted it. He is now in a Miami hospital.
FBI investigators have searched the headquarters of American Media Inc, where both men worked, searching for clues.
Florida health officials said they had still not determined if the anthrax strain was natural or engineered - a fact which could help to decide if the contamination was a criminal act.

Biological warfare
The cases of anthrax - a very rare disease which experts say can be used as a biological warfare agent - has caused anxiety among a public still nervous over the September 11 attacks in Washington and New York.
Amid fears of possible anthrax contamination, authorities took precautionary measures isolating and treating people in Washington, Virginia and Kentucky.
Police and fire officials also responded to a spate of calls from residents concerned about suspicious packages in Florida.
Sky News 09:12 UK, Wednesday October 10, 2001



Anthrax: Start Of New Bio War?

FBI investigators are puzzled as to how the rare and deadly anthrax bacteria ended up in a busy newspaper office.
The disease is normally found in rural areas, especially in underdeveloped and third world countries.

Intern
It is unusual to find it in built-up areas - and it does not naturally occur in Florida.
The FBI is focusing on several lines of inquiry: that the disease was innocently brought from the countryside into the office; that a disgruntled victim of a story was behind the outbreak, or more ominously, that the infection marks the beginning of a chemical war against America.
America's Newsweek magazine reported that the FBI was "aggressively pursuing" an intern of Middle Eastern appearance who worked in the office.
He is reported to have left a strange email message indicating that he 'had left something behind' on his final day, the magazine said.
The office has now been sealed off and all workers are being tested for the disease.

Death 'within days'
Anthrax cannot be passed from human to human. But it can kill in very small doses - a property that makes it very attractive to terrorists looking to wreak revenge for US-led strikes on the Taliban.
America is now on high alert for any possible attack.
The disease is carried in spores and humans are can be infected by inhaling infected soil particles, handling wool or hair from infected animals or eating contaminated meat.
Initial indications of infection are flu-like symptoms, or boils and lesions. If inhaled, respiratory symptoms are more common.
Treatment is through antibiotics such as penicillin. Death is likely within days unless the victim is treated immediately.


 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1580000/1580930.stm Health info on Anthrax