THE ANTHRAX SCARE

HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT / OCT. 17, 2001
Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Carter Davis demonstrated
equipment that allows firefighters to do field tests to detect
anthrax. It was the same equipment used yesterday.

Device maker
faults human error
for readings

Too much haste led to the
false positives, executives say

Fast action, criticism
Anthrax facts

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By Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com

Officials for the company that makes the portable anthrax field testers used by the city said their device worked just as it should have yesterday.

However, James Whelan, general manager of Wheeling, Ill.-based Alexter Technologies LLC, said the initial problem appeared to have been with those taking the anthrax readings.

"It looks like it was a timing issue," Whelan said yesterday. "They didn't wait long enough to read the test.

"This sort of thing has already happened in several other areas across the country where they're using the same equipment."

Whelan said the device, the Guardian Biothreat Alert, or Guardian BTA, needs 15 minutes to properly screen for biological agents including anthrax, Ricin, botulinum toxin, plague and staphylococcal enterotoxin B, otherwise known as SEB. The results appear on a test strip, much like some home pregnancy tests, with two bands across the test strip indicating a positive result while one band indicates a negative result.

Whelan said that while Hazardous Materials crews may have gotten false results at first using the unit in "manual" mode, they did follow instructions that say another test in "automatic" mode should be run to confirm the results.

"From what I understand they (HazMat crews) did run our instrument twice in manual mode and got positive results," said Whelan. "Then they ran it in automatic mode and got a negative result."

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ASSOCIATED PRESS
The anthrax bacteria seen through a microscope.

What you need to
know about anthrax

Basic information you need to know about anthrax, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

DISEASE

Anthrax is a deadly infection caused by bacterial spores commonly found in cows and sheep; not contagious

SYMPTOMS

Infection from inhalation resembles common cold; progresses to severe breathing problems and shock after several days; inhaled anthrax usually fatal

TREATMENT

Antibiotics such as penicillin or ciprofloxacin must be taken immediately

VACCINE?

Yes; usually given only to active duty military personnel

POSSIBILITIES AS A WEAPON

Relatively easy to manufacture and store, but difficult to disperse in large qualities; bright sunlight kills the spores, and thousands must inhaled for an infection to develop