Okay, so I know that during the September 24-25 anti-war demonstration in Washington, DC, there was a lot of concern over what “they” might do to disrupt our protests. You remember how the trains stopped running, and everybody went, “Woooo, what’s up with that?”
Well, here’s a little additional something to stir the pot. According to this story from Yahoo news, it’s what you didn’t see or hear about that should worry you.
Small amounts of a bacteria that causes “rabbit fever” were found on Washington’s National Mall last weekend as thousands of protesters marched against the Iraq War, U.S. health authorities said on Saturday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said several government environmental air monitors in the Mall area detected low levels of Francisella tularensis bacteria that cause Tularemia, commonly known as rabbit fever, on September 24-25.
So you might ask, exactly what is Tularemia, and where might one reasonably expect to be exposed to it? Well, here’s what the CDC has to say:
Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” is a disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Tularemia is typically found in animals, especially rodents, rabbits, and hares. Tularemia is usually a rural disease and has been reported in all U.S. states except Hawaii. [snip]
Most cases occur in the south-central and western states. Nearly all cases occur in rural areas, and are caused by the bites of ticks and biting flies or from handling infected rodents, rabbits, or hares.
Okay, now, this is important, so I’m going to repeat it. How is tularemia spread? Again, I’ll quote the CDC:
In the United States, most persons with tularemia acquire the infection from arthropod bites, particularly tick bites, or from contact with infected mammals, particularly rabbits. Historically, most cases of tularemia occurred in summer, related to arthropod bites, and in winter, related to hunters coming into contact with infected rabbit carcasses. In recent years, a seasonal increase in incidence has occurred only in the late spring and summer months, when arthropod bites are most common. Outbreaks of tularemia in the United States have been associated with muskrat handling (3), tick bites (4,5), deerfly bites (6), and lawn mowing or cutting brush (7). Sporadic cases in the United States have been associated with contaminated drinking water (8) and various laboratory exposures (9). Outbreaks of pneumonic tularemia, particularly in low-incidence areas, should prompt consideration of bioterrorism (10).
Hold on. Back up. “BIOTERRORISM”? Oh, yeah. The CDC has something to say about that, as well, and it might go a long way towards explaining why there were environmental air monitors in the Mall to pick up the tularemia readings in the first place.
CDC defines three categories of biologic agents with potential to be used as weapons, based on ease of dissemination or transmission, potential for major public health impact (e.g., high mortality), potential for public panic and social disruption, and requirements for public health preparedness (2). Agents of highest concern are Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Yersinia pestis (plague), variola major (smallpox), Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), filoviruses (Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Marburg hemorrhagic fever); and arenaviruses (Lassa [Lassa fever], Junin [Argentine hemorrhagic fever], and related viruses).
So if someone were to disseminate tularemia as a biological weapon, what might we expect to see? Sorry to keep quoting the CDC, but this is the most likely scenario:
Francisella tularensis is highly infectious. A small number of bacteria (10-50 organisms) can cause disease. If Francisella tularensis were used as a bioweapon, the bacteria would likely be made airborne so they could be inhaled. People who inhale the bacteria can experience severe respiratory illness, including life-threatening pneumonia and systemic infection, if they are not treated.
If the bacteria are inhaled, symptoms can include abrupt onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough, and progressive weakness. People with pneumonia can develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, bloody sputum, and respiratory failure. Tularemia can be fatal if the person is not treated with appropriate antibiotics.
One more time. Fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough, and progressive weakness. People with pneumonia can develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, bloody sputum, and respiratory failure. Tularemia can be fatal if the person is not treated with appropriate antibiotics. Onset of symptoms is typically 3-5 days, but can range anywhere from 1-14 days.
But, of course, it’s all okay, just a false alarm, nothing to worry about.
WASHINGTON – A week after bioterrorism sensors detected the presence of a dangerous bacterium on the national Mall, health officials said there are no reports that any of the thousands of people in the nation’s capital Sept. 24 have tularemia, the illness that results from exposure to the bacteria. Federal health officials are still testing the samples that collected a small amount of the tularemia agent, which can cause flulike symptoms and is usually treated with antibiotics. The bacteria probably was not the result of nefarious activity, according to federal investigators.
There now, don’t you feel better already?
