As most of you know, I work in a hospital lab and have recently started training in microbiology there. This past Thursday, I was given the opportunity to go the Minnesota Department of Health Laboratory and learn about the major agents of bioterrorism. We had lectures and lab on such known organisms as anthrax (Bacillus anthrasis), and black plague (Yersinia pestis), as well as the lesser publicly known agents such as tularemia (Francisella tularensis), and glanders (Burkholderia mallei).
We had lectures on the history of bioterrorism. Without being called as such, the settlers of the New World could have possibly used germ warfare towards the Native Americans by giving them smallpox infested blankets. This is debated among historians, but it is certainly plausible.
In the lab portion, we looked at organisms that had the same biochemical properties as these bioterroristic agents and had to decide if we would send it the Department of Health Laboratories for furthur workup and confirmation. As hospital medical technologists, we are most likely the first ones to see these bugs as people are admitted to the hospital. In the anthrax attacks of September 2001, one of the reports was made by a microbiolist from a hospital. It was a good reminder to remember to look for the zebras in a pack of horses that we see every day.
As an added bonus, channel 5 just happened to be filming a segment on the likliness of bioterrorism and I happened to be in the segment, although breifly.
Here is a link to the story:
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S693623.shtml
2 comments:
Was that you walking behind the microscope and then again at the end getting up from the chair?
Just the one walking behind the microscope......
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