For reference, the top 15 leading causes of death in the United States for the year 2000 (estimate, per 100,000) Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr49/nvsr49_12.pdf [warning, 1.7 MB file] 1. Disease of the heart: 257.9 2. Malignant neoplasms: 200.5 3. Cerebrovascular diseases: 60.3 4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 44.9 5. Accidents: 34.0 6. Diabetes mellitus: 24.9 7. Influenza and pneumonia: 24.3 8. Alzhiemer's: 17.8 9. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 13.7 10. Septicemia: 11.5 11. Suicide: 10.3 12. Chronic liver disease: 9.5 13. Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease: 6.5 14. Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids: 6.1 15. Assault (homicide): 5.9 * The thousands of deaths in the WTC may push up the Assault category next year and anthrax is a long, long way off from being a major cause of death, is easily curable and not contagious.

http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/lessons.html Anthrax is a mild diversion compared to this.

More interesting news: Evidence suggests al Qaeda pursuit of biological, chemical weapons From Mike Boettcher CNN (CNN) -- Coalition intelligence agencies say they have discovered evidence of transactions involving sophisticated laboratory equipment, along with a new bioterrorism manual distributed to cells of the al Qaeda terrorist network. The extent of al Qaeda's operational knowledge was once contained in the 10-volume Encyclopedia of Afghan Resistance, which has been the template for actual and planned terrorism attacks against a variety of targets worldwide. (View pages from the manuals) But now Western intelligence agencies are analyzing a new volume distributed on an unknown number of CD-ROMs. It contains precise, deadly formulas for chemical and biological weapons that can be made from ingredients readily available to the public, CNN has learned. In a chapter called Science of Explosives, for example, chemical formulas are followed by step-by-step instructions in the manufacture of deadly biological weapons. Another chapter is called "The Poisonous Letter." http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/11/14/chemical.bio/index.html

i think it's very important that we not panic. we have to put this anthrax thing into perspective--it's not "The Stand" happening here. is it a reality, yes, but so is walking out your front door and getting run over on your way to work.

If bioterrorism weren't enough, there is always poverty and disease. Ebola-like Virus on Pakistan Border Doctors fear refugees may spark lethal epidemic Rory McCarthy in Islamabad Friday October 5, 2001 The Guardian A highly contagious disease which leaves its victims bleeding to death is sweeping through Pakistan's western border and has already claimed at least eight lives, doctors said last night. In the past four months more than 60 people have been infected by Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a lethal virus similar to Ebola. The outbreak in the deserts of the western province of Baluchistan appears to be the world's largest and doctors fear it could quickly reach epidemic proportions. ... Animal infection is much more common but the disease is deadly in humans. The virus incubates for up to nine days and once it has set in it kills a third of its victims within two weeks. "The symptoms are nosebleeds, bleeding from the rectum, even through the skin," Dr Mohammed said. Patients frequently suffer hepatitis and then liver and kidney failure. full story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,563685,00.html

heard today that a famed microbiologist (one who studied viruses like e boli) has been missing for a while and they thought he might have leapt to his death. now they're thinking he's being used in this new threat.

I think I will not come here often. It is easy to be paranoid about stuff like this!!

inded it is!

Xena is my savior. (mirmir) Wed Jan 2 '02 (15:22) 33 lines wow, here is another urban terrorist vulnerability i hadnt heard of before. and the fires around sydney australia, more than half thought to be started by arsonists, have made the point very clear that whatever can be used as an anonymous weapon against one's neighbors, will be used. 1 January 2002. Thanks to DE. Wall Street Journal, December 28, 2001 'Backflow' water-line attack feared Terrorists could reverse flow in system to introduce toxins By Yochi J. Dreazen THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Dec. 27 - In St. Petersburg, Fla., water authorities are keeping a closer eye on system-wide water pressure. In Cleveland, officials are weighing whether to add more chlorine to their water so larger amounts of the chemical will linger in their pipes. In Portland, Ore., alarms are now triggered by smaller drops in water pressure than in the past. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, water utility officials are taking steps to prevent terrorists from reversing the flow of water into a home or business - which can be accomplished with a vacuum cleaner or bicycle pump - and using the resulting "backflow" to push poisons into a local water-distribution system. Such an attack would use utility pipes for the opposite of their intended purpose: Instead of carrying water out of a tap, the pipes would spread toxins to nearby homes or businesses. Water utility officials say the backflow threat dominates their post-Sept. 11 discussions with law-enforcement personnel. Although utilities have posted extra guards to patrol reservoirs and treatment plants, officials say the biggest threat to the nation's water supply may be from the pipes that carry the water, not facilities that store or purify it.�� continued at http://cryptome.org/backflow-panic.htm