Open Question

I can't believe I'm asking this...<br><br>Here's the deal. Some of the people who have known me for some time, and never had the least interest in survival matters, are understandably suddenly interested in some narrow aspects. Some knew that I made modest preparations for Y2K (nothing drastic, just backup water, food, heat, light) and so, apparently, I now come to mind.. and what they want to know about is gas masks. Where to find them, what to buy. Obviously the main concern is biological.<br><br>Well, I was never nearly that paranoid about Y2k, so I have little expertise to offer. The last time I looked, probably back in the '80s, the market seemed flooded with Israeli civilian models, which seem scarce now. I know about canteen caps & connectors, and barf tubes, but it seems that this is yet another US military item that's not available to civilians, not even as surplus (and doesn't THAT make you wonder).<br><br>I guess I'm not particularly interested in a discussion of whether or not their fear is warranted- in either case, it's quite real, and this is what they want to do. This is the DC Metro area, and some of these folks work in the middle of downtown.<br><br>Anyone care to weigh in with some real info?<br><br>Thanks in advance.<br><br>

Everyone is looking for a 'canary' to take into the mines of what used to be a 'safe' environment. The hysteria continues; initial gas price gouging, increased firearms purchases and panic buying of food. Surplus is a fascinating market. Items once common and virtually unsaleable are today's hot ticket. Gas masks have been purchased heavily by protestors involved in the WTO issue as a countermeasure to tear gas and pepper spray. I've seen all manner in use; Israeli, Soviet, U.S. issue and NATO. You will need to determine if the actual filter is interchangeable, ie. NATO with U.S. and how well they fit. Masks intended for troops may not fit a child.If the demand continues, the dealers will find supplies. Just prepare for sticker shock. If an attack were to occur, remember that there are many skin agents that do not require inhalation. <br><br>

I just talked with Major Surplus. All the wholesalers have increased the cost of gas masks. The good news is the filters are fully interchangeable between the latest Israeli, Soviet/Russian, Nato and U.S. issue units. refrain from buying anything but new unissued units.Average price is @ $30.00 with replacement filters @ $5<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Chris Kavanaugh on 09/18/01 02:41 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

Hi everyone,<br><br>I think that it's terrible that companies are taking advantage of people's fear by gouging them. I bought an Israeli mask for $12 with the filter about 7 months ago. I've seen them on the internet for $40+. I consider such business people predators.<br><br>If you are still interested in buying them, a good place to try is flea markets and your local mom and pop surplus shops.<br><br>I would not say that such fear is not warranted. The last thing I want to do is to incite anyone to panic, but I know a few points about biological warfare issues and would like to say a few things for the benefit of all.<br><br>Anthrax is an example of a bacteria that will transmit through skin (cutaneously). It will also transmit through inhalation and eating. It is naturally occurring and relatively easy to produce. Much easier to produce, than say, some nerve agents and all nuclear weapons. I feel it would be a natural choice for terrorists.<br><br>This is particularly unsettling because Anthrax has an incubation period of approximately one week. If you would imagine a scenario (God forbid) where someone loads a crop duster and flies over L.A. or Cleveland, thousands of people would be infected and not necessarily know it; many would mistake it for the common cold. Once you realize you are infected, you will die in 1-2 days unless a heroic antibiotic regiment is started before acute symptoms appear.<br><br>Many bacteria, spores, and viruses can stay dormant without a host. In our doomsday scenario, the city would have to be sterilized before civilians could resume life. Every crevace would have to be investigated: air ducts, dumpsters, mail boxes, etc. Such spores would have to be eradicated.<br><br>On the subject of vaccines: to my knowledge, vaccines are not widely available to the general public. Vaccines are administered to "high risk" occupations. If Anthrax were to be released on a civilian population, the United States stockpile of vaccines would be pathetically inadequate.<br><br>DoD recognizes the risk of Anthrax to all military personnel. In fact, they are beginning mandatory immunization to everyone in the armed forces, not just infantry or "front lines" people.<br><br>I live near Dayton, Ohio. I read in a local newspaper a couple of weeks ago that the US government built an anthrax lab for the sole purpose of researching mutations for vaccines. It exists in the US already. The point? The Government directly and indirectly acknowledges the threat.<br><br>What can you do to keep safe? I'm open to suggestions.<br><br>Large cities would obviously be more at risk, unless the government shoots down a loaded plane over your town.<br><br>Unless you want to live your whole life in a bio suit, there is not much you can do short of getting the vaccine. And then, that is only one germ you are immune to. All immunizations have to be maintained.<br><br>The best defense is to keep aware of any odd symptoms that you or yours develop (out of season colds, difficulty breathing, strange rashes) - the key is to detect it early, as in yesterday.<br><br>Please, I am not trying to scare anyone, but keep in mind this scenario is quite real; many other germs and agents exist. I believe that the only real solution is to make sure that the organizations and people that have bio laboratories get them permanently shut down- you just can't keep getting vaccinated every year for all possible strains and mutations.<br><br>I like to think that when I call in to radio stations and the like, journalists will start to get more familiar with biological warfare issues. The more they are familiar, the more they ask the government officials. Hopefully the increased awareness will lead to solutions.<br><br><br><br>Peace and God Bless America<br><br>Chris

I would be leery of buying most surplus masks and filters, as they are just that surplus, either because they are no longer servicable or out of date in most cases. I would avoid anything that I could not get a FRESH, newly manufactured filter for. Finally, I would not count on interchanability of filters. In my experience, that is not the case.<br>gasmasks.com is a good site for new stuff. If your concern is solely bio hazard, you can get a mask with a HEPA/particle filter from someplace like Labsafety. <br>As a member of a WMD team sponsored by the USPHS, we use commercial, off the shelf stuff for NBC protection.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

Regarding Anthrax, the type of infection following a terrorist incident would be pulmonary, spread by inhalation of the spores. Cutaneous infection is only encountered in slaughterhouse personnel that handle infected meat and hides.<br>I would again caution people against relying on flea market surplus junk. You are betting your life on something that a governmental agency junked and has been stored under less than ideal conditions.<br>My federally sponsored teams use a commercially available PAPR, a powered respirator. That is not necessary for most people. MSR makes a domestic terrorism full face respirator that is listed in the LabSafety catalog.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

Just last night, one of the local news stations reported that the city of Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, has a biological emergency plan on place. The two most likely agents mentioned were Anthrax and Small Pox. Their plan basically isolates their medical facilities where discovered in order to reduce the spread. Hospital staff and local physicians have received the plan, which includes symtoms and signs of an infection, as well as veterinaians as they may see symptoms in animals before infected humans may bother to see a physician.<br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

Interesting. Beachdoc, are you saying that even if the spores made contact with your skin, you would not get infected?<br><br>Under what conditions exist in a slaughterhouse that would put people at risk, but not pose a risk if released airborne?<br><br>About the whole flea market thing: yes, there is a lot of junk at flea markets. There is a lot of good quality stuff as well; it all depends on who you buy from. I check for airtight seals and no visual signs of damage. I've been able to find new, unused masks with seals still on the filters. I wouldn't discount it right off the bat, though.<br><br><br><br>Peace and God Bless America<br><br>Chris

The risk with anthrax to slaughterhouse workers is all the little breaks in the skin associated with using knives and contact with sharp bones and chapped hands.<br>Anthrax as a biological weapon is an aerosol threat. The spores are very resistant to light, drying, and environmental heat.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

I stand corrected in stating that the threat is inhalation. The primary threat is inhalation. Entry through an open wound is possible but FAR less lethal.<br>Clinical anthrax is not transmissable between people.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

The only real gas mask I would trust my life to would be a Micronel M-95 mask. (not that you know me anyways)<br><br>http://www.botachtactical.com/micsafm95.html (beware of these guys, though)<br><br>This will protect against all known short term B/C. All the other stuff is junk, kiddie toys for protesters. There have been documented cases of people getting Gulf War Syndrome from used military surplus gas masks. Don't mess around. If they want just a respirator then buy a MSA Advantage 1000.<br><br>Real Info:<br><br>http://www.asod.org/index.htm<br><br>Good luck<br><br>GATOR<br><br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by GATOR on 09/20/01 02:46 AM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

There are certainly a number of suitable commercial masks available. As I stated in a prior posting, the FEMA/USPHS team that I deployed to New York with uses an MSA PAPR with commercially available filters. <br><br>Similar to SCUBA equipment and most anything, people have strong opinions as to what is "best" while many things are suitable for use.<br><br>In the case of bio-terrorism, a simple respirator with a mechanical filter is acceptable, as agents are spread through inhalation or ingestion. To the best of my knowledge, there are no bio agents that are able to pass through intact skin.<br><br>Anthrax is spread in two ways: inhalation, which results in a far more lethal pulmonary infection and through open wounds which is not as serious and rarely life threatening. Anthrax pneumonia is not contagious.<br><br>Other, particularly viral, agents are far more serious, as they are contagious. In our era of global travel, it is very unlikely that use of a viral pathogen would result in casualties in only one geographic region and could spread world-wide.<br><br>Simply wearing a mask does not offer protection against either chemical or biological hazards. Tyvek and other similar suits with hoods and booties, nitrile gloves, and 10% bleach are also important.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

Jeffery, your reply coincides with a letter in today's Wall Street Journal (see below) regarding the potential danger from biological weapons. However, you seem to beleive that viral infections are present a higher risk than the author beleives. The author does not focus on primary infections from "typical" biological warfare agents (Anthax, Small Pox, etct.), where the victims come in direct contact with the infecting agent (spores, etc.). They will most likely become infected and most if not all will die. But he down plays the risk of secondary infection primarily because the victims perish to soon to become transmitters of further desease. Viral infections, on the other hand, are highly contageous, but are not normally leathal. But your message indicates that there may be some risk from viral agents. Am I interpreting the facts correctly?<br><br>I've also posted a second story from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution regarding the risk of biological agents from the CDC in the event of an attack on that facility.<br>=======================================<br> Biological Warfare: The 'Good' News -- letter to the editor<br><br>Wall Street Journal<br><br>September 20, 2001<br><br>As noted in your Sept. 18 story "Are We Prepared for the Unthinkable?" history records various incidents -- including accidents -- involving either biological or chemical warfare agents. Although bacteria and other micro-organisms can sicken or even kill an individual patient who is exposed, their ability to spread and cause "secondary" cases is limited. The reason is that if they are to survive, bacteria and viruses need living hosts to provide shelter and sustenance, and they cannot afford to kill their hosts too quickly and too often.<br><br>During the past half-century, university and government laboratories working with infectious agents that cause diseases like anthrax and bubonic plague have, unintentionally, performed what amounts to small-scale biological warfare "experiments." In other words, there were laboratory accidents in which organisms were released.<br><br>The outcomes of these incidents are revealing and somewhat reassuring. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, which used to monitor these mishaps, recorded 109 laboratory-associated infections during the period 1947-1973, but not a single secondary case -- that is, infection of a patient's family member or community contact -- was reported.<br><br>The medical literature similarly reveals only a handful of people secondarily infected. In 1948-50, there were reports of six cases of Q fever (a disease caused by intracellular parasites called Rickettsia) in employees of a commercial laundry that handled linens and uniforms from a laboratory that conducted research with the agent, one case of Q fever in a visitor to a laboratory, and two cases of Q fever in household contacts of a laboratory scientist. A secondary case of a disease caused by an Ebola-like virus in the wife of a primary case was presumed to have been transmitted sexually two months after his dismissal from the hospital in 1967. Finally, three secondary cases of smallpox were reported in two laboratory-associated outbreaks in England in 1973 and 1978.<br><br>As a public health threat, most biological agents act much like the chemical sarin in the 1995 release in the Tokyo subway by terrorists, with injury limited primarily to those exposed initially. The appearance of symptoms would be more delayed for a biological agent than a chemical -- the incubation period for bubonic plague is two to seven days and that for anthrax two to three days, for example. Most bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, assuming that the offending organism is identified early enough and that there are enough drugs on hand.<br><br>Certain viruses, such as influenza and rhinoviruses (which cause most common colds), are highly contagious, spreading readily from one person to another (and viral infections cannot readily be treated with drugs), but their infections are seldom life-threatening.<br><br>Thus, although a future lethal epidemic caused by progressive person-to-person spread of infectious agents is unlikely, their widespread dispersion -- throughout a subway system or in the ventilating system of an office building, for example -- potentially could infect thousands of people.<br><br>The prospect of exposure to biological weapons should elicit not hysteria, but vigilance and planning. Louis Pasteur, the father of bacteriology, was correct that "chance favors only the prepared mind."<br><br>Henry I. Miller, M.D.<br> <br>(The author, a physician and molecular biologist, was an FDA official, 1979-94.)<br>=================================================<br>Offering prayers, assistant; CDC steps up security after terrorist attacks<br><br>The Atlanta Journal and Constitution <br><br>September 20, 2001 <br><br>By: Ben Smith <br><br>A commercial jet, hijacked by terrorists, plunges into laboratories next to Atlanta's Emory University and explodes, unleashing some of the world's most deadly viruses. <br><br>It's bad science fiction, say officials for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the DeKalb County site for research laboratories that house the world's most contagious viruses. <br><br>"Anything that would destroy the buildings would destroy the viruses," said Barbara Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the CDC. "They are very delicate, and they don't survive in the open air very long. Viruses don't live outside the human body very easily." The CDC is one of only eight institutions in the world to have the highest level of containment, called "Biosafety Level 4," for storing and handling the most dangerous known microbes, such as the viruses that cause Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Machupo fever. <br><br>But the strength of its existing security didn't stop CDC officials from taking extra steps last week immediately after three jets commandeered by terrorists slammed into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, killing thousands. <br><br>Before noon after the attacks, the agency asked nonessential employees to leave the CDC's main campus on Clifton Road, while members of the agency's bioterrorism and chemical weapons teams were sent to a more secure facility elsewhere in metro Atlanta. <br><br>DeKalb police shut down traffic for nearly two hours to complete the evacuation of nonessential personnel, and Georgia state troopers were stationed in front of the facility's four entrances. <br><br>The campus has remained on "heightened security," said Reynolds, who declined to discuss any of the steps taken by the agency. <br><br>"Some (security measures) are visible and some are not," Reynolds said, adding that there are no plans to upgrade security at the CDC, the only U.S. agency not headquartered in Washington. <br><br>Before the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the CDC conducted a comprehensive review of its security. Among the changes were tighter restrictions on people, cars and packages coming in and out of the campus. <br><br>In recent years, the institution created new federal regulations governing the transportation of dangerous germs for research, such as requiring health officials to register and track anyone who receives or sends infectious viruses, bacteria or other microbes, and forbidding anyone without adequate laboratory facilities from receiving them. <br><br>The new regulations were prompted, in part, by a rash of terrorist acts, including the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building as well as the arrest the same year of an Ohio white supremacist who allegedly obtained bubonic plague bacteria through the mail from a Maryland biotechnology company. <br><br>Meanwhile, the CDC's campus was expanded in 1998 when the agency annexed 17 acres around the facility. The razing of houses around the CDC and the expansion of the gates have created a wider buffer for the facility, which has the unintended effect of making much of the CDC's campus more remote. <br><br>Reynolds said the new buildings planned for the additional acreage will, of course, feature state-of-the art security systems. <br><br>Reynolds added that stepping up CDC security wasn't the only response the institution had made to last week's attacks. The agency tapped into supplies from the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile and had several truckloads of supplies sent to New York, including medicine, bandages, IV equipment and ventilators. <br><br><br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

>>Viral infections, on the other hand, are highly contageous, but are not normally leathal<<<br><br>From what I've read about the Ebola virus, two forms of it are lethal in most people infected within a few weeks. I believe the Ebola Zaire variant has over a 90% fatality rate. It is highly contaigous through contact with bodily fluids, which are produced in abundance by the victums in the terminal phase of the infection (vomiting, bleading, etc). The disease can be transmitted even after the host is dead (through contact with bodily fluids or eating contaminated meat).<br><br>There is one form (Ebola Reston) that appears to be even more highly contaigous (it can be transmitted through breathing), but that form doesn't seem to be deadly to humans (thankfully). If a new form appears or can be developed that combines the high lethality of Ebola Zaire with the airborne contaigousness of Ebola Reston, deploying the virus would be trivially easy and the results could be catastrophic on a national or global level. <br><br>Let's hope that there isn't a boilogical lab somewhere funded by Osama bin Laden's fortune with a fanatical and demented genetic engineer working on this potential weapon.<br><br>

>>>There is one form (Ebola Reston) that appears to be even more highly contaigous (it can be transmitted through breathing), ...<<<<br><br>But it still would require a host to transmit. It quickly dies outside of a host body, which makes it unsuitable in an attack, thank goodness. Scary stuff, though.<br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

I just completed the Bio-Terrorism module for our team so the material is as fresh as possible for someone of my age!<br><br>Regarding your comments about viral agents, smallpox and ebola are rarely survivable. The Russians attempted to genetically combine the viruses so that someone exposed would contract both Ebola and Smallpox. Each has a 80-95% mortality rate. No one would survive the combined infection.<br><br>The most likely Bio threat is anthrax. The organism is readily available, easy to manufacture and distribute, and has a high lethality. It is not transmissible from person to person and therefore a "controllable" agent. Dispersed at the superbowl, it would likely kill most everyone infected, but not others that they come into contact with, such as health care workers and family members, etc.<br><br>The cult that dumped SARIN in the Tokyo subway tried UNSUCCESSFULLY to develop Anthrax as a weapon. It is easy for governments to do, less so for terrorists.<br><br>Viral agents and bacterial agents that are capable of spread from infected to healthy people are not controllable. Should Ebola or Smallpox be released in a terrorist incident, there is potential to spread the infection internationally. It is not reasonable to think that those immediately infected would die before infecting others. Ebola is spread through contact with infected secretions, Smallpox is spread as colds and influenza by aerosol droplets.<br><br>Those of us that are old enough to have Smallpox vaccination scars are NOT protected against Smallpox today.<br><br>The problem with infectious agents is that they can and will spread once delivered. This makes them a less than suitable weapon.<br><br>Remember that the THREAT to employ chemical and biological weapons is far more a concern than the actual release. We all remember images of the troops during desert storm wearing their MOPP gear and hunkering down in bunkers, unable to do much of anything more, when there was a THREAT of a chemical release.<br><br>Imagine the effect on a large city if someone would announce that they had released or would release an agent at a given time. Imagine the panic and effect on our society.<br><br>It appears to me that the government is more concerned about a chemical threat than any other, followed by possibly anthrax. A distant third is a "suitcase" nuclear device.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

Beachdoc : As a member of FEMA, please comment on the statement (myth ? ) by some survivalists that FEMA has the authority to suspend the U.S. Constitution. Thanks !! <br><br>

To clarify my position: I am a member of a FEMA/USPHS sponsored disaster/weapons of mass destruction team. I am not a "member" of FEMA.<br>I can offer no comment on your question.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

All you would need is one person willing to become a martyr for the cause, just like the hijackers last week were. This person would be voluntarily infected with the virus, travel to the US, sneeze on a couple of people, and a chain reaction would begin that would travel like wildfire through the population. For that matter, a terrorist in a foreign country could slip something into the food of a single unknowing person scheduled to get onto a plane to the US. There would be no need to create a bomb that would scatter the virus or to infect a municipal water supply or load a crop-duster with it or any other artifical means of broadcasting it. The scary part is that natural processes of the virus would do all that automatically by jumping from host to host one person at a time.<br><br>

Problem with this scenario is that once unleashed, there is no stopping the spread of the viral illness. There is significant risk of wiping out a huge number of people, including those the terrorist represents.<br>The other consideration is that viruses this virulent are very dangerous to work with. Once infected, but before travelling, the terrorist may well infect his buddies or countrymen prior to visiting his target.<br>The thinking is that viruses are not a likely threat.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

>>The thinking is that viruses are not a likely threat.<<<br><br>I sure hope you are right, Beachdoc. Before last week, the thinking was that 4 small groups of suicidal hijackers crashing 4 airliners into 3 important buildings simultaneously was not a likely threat.<br><br>I see the possible backlash of using a viral weapon and I hope the terrorists have similar values about that kind of thing. Right now, I am not completely comforted by that assumption. I don't know what their values are. I also don't understand what the values of the Jim Jones cult was but people who are eager to die for a cause may not be motivated by the same fears that you and I would be. I don't know if it is possible to predict psychotic behavior.<br><br>Here's hoping that the current worldwide anti-terrorist sentiment will result in effective policies that keep us from ever finding out.<br><br>

Thanks for clarifying the issues. As usual, knowledge goes a long way towards quelling fear and chaos.<br><br>Regarding Small Pox, I know the international effort eradicated Small Pox, except for scientific samples in Russia and our own CDC. Is there a clinical reason to not innocluate against the disease or is it purely deemed uneccesary and too expensive. I know U.S. service men are being inoculated for Anthrax, would a Small Pox vacine be prudent as well? Or is the risk of the virus escaping or being used by terrorist so small that's it's not even worth considering?<br><br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

As a retired reservist, I am not aware of current requirements. However, the CDC site says that US military personnel are immunized against smallpox. While I can vouch for that occuring in the 70's, I know it to not be true in the mid 90's. Things change.<br>There is NO available vaccine for either anthrax or smallpox available to the general public. Anthrax WAS available, with permission of the DOD, about a year ago, was very expensive and the manufacturer required purchase of a significant amount (prohibitive for most MD's)<br><br>IMHO, I believe that if the feds view smallpox to be a meaningful threat, they should manufacture and distribute the vaccine.<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

Remember, for a mask or any other PPE to be effective it must be donned BEFORE the incident. You will most likely have no warning of the release of the agent, especially the release of a bio agent as the incubation period can be as long as 12 days.<br><br>Masks are good if:<br>You have it with you at all times.<br>If you have the correct filters, the mask integrity is not compromised and the fit is correct.<br>If you have enough warning to don the mask before you contact the agent.<br><br>I would be much more concerned about chem agents as they are easier to produce, do not require specific conditions to thrive and are easier to disperse.<br><br>Just my humble opinion.<br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by REELDOC on 09/24/01 08:01 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

I was wondering if anyone had any comments on an interesting b/c hood I saw at http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame.e...2c&37;2Etam<br>It's mentioned at http://www.tacda.org/products/q2k.html also, but they don't have it available yet.<br><br>Stay safe,<br>J.T.

BEACHDOC, <br> Thank you for a voice of reason in these times of panic! As someone formerly involved in Medical response to B/C attacks as they relate to Antiterrorism forces, I appreciate the sound advice you have dispensed here.<br> As for the previous post, Viral agents for the most part have been assumed to be of a lesser Terrorist threat, due to the logistics of dispersal (as you noted regarding infected Martyrs), poor resilliance of the Agent in question, and incubation period required for symptoms to appear (Terrorists depend on public outcry to further their agenda). Anthrax is suitable as an Agent of infection due to its spore qualities (i.e. longevity) and relative ease of of dispersal and longevity. Logistic problems, again, limit it's effectiveness as an instrument of Terror. Far more likely, IMHO, is the production and delivery of a limited quantity of a biological/chemical agent as "Proof" , and the subsequent "Threat" to deploy same by Terrorists. <br> I see a paranoia of the unknown that could be greatly be relieved by serious research (other than just internet posts). <br> Cited mortality stats of isolated Marburg/Ebola incidents, "proof" of inferior PPE "causing" Gulf War Syndrome, and other misinformation do little to help citizens to adequately prepare for actual possibilities.<br> Anyone who has actually responded to natural disasters, civil unrest and combat situations will most likely agree that basic sanitation and the disruption of public utilities pose a greater health threat than any known or projected C/B threat from a terrorist organization or "Lone Wolf". For those seriously concerned about Biological warfare, time spent on self education regarding proper sanitation following a disaster is time well spent. Good health, potable water, proper food handling and personal hygeine are your first line of defense against any infective agent. The Red Cross and FEMA both have excellent information on these topics, as well as local Extension Agents (if applicable).<br><br>