Anthrax suspect was barred from labs after spill

Source: AP

Anthrax suspect was barred from labs after spill

By DAVID DISHNEAU – 9 hours ago

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Anthrax mailing suspect Bruce E. Ivins' access to Army biodefense laboratories was revoked in March after he spilled anthrax on his pants and went home to wash them instead of immediately reporting the accident, according to an Army report.

The accident occurred March 17 at Fort Detrick while the microbiologist, who died of an apparent suicide July 29, was working with the relatively mild strain of anthrax used for vaccinating livestock.

His access to the laboratories that handle the deadly Ames strain used in the 2001 attacks had been revoked Nov. 1, the same day the FBI raided Ivins' home in Frederick, just outside Fort Detrick's main gate.

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The investigator wrote that a centrifuge bottle containing the solution had tipped over, spilling about 5 milliliters on Ivins's trousers. Ivins cleaned the surface of the cabinet and floor, and then walked home, washed his pants with bleach in his washing machine and dried them in the dryer before returning to USAMRIID to report the incident.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hsfQS_7ucH9f9KjqC93JfU7sbRjAD93D7AE80

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Heard this earlier today on NPR. Had to check it out.

heard something on the radio today about an email he had sent to himself about whodunit... sure... :eyes:

detecting who real Anthrax mailer was ---

Ivins -- if I recall correctly -- lived across the street from the lab -- ???

Pitiful. The guy spills low grade anthrax from a vaccine that he works with all the time (probably without protection) on his pants and instead of embarrassing himself by turning himself in he takes care of it himself by going home to wash his pants? Let me cast the first stone (but only because I don't work with anthrax of any grade).

Anthrax is studied in a level 3 bio containment lab. all labs at that level require decontamination showers upon entering and exiting. And they don't wear "pants" at that level. All researchers wear "scrubs" or tyvek jumpsuits.

And Fort Detrick is well known for having one of the most strict bio containment labs in the world. It's impossible to just "walk out". The place is heavily guarded and patrolled. No matter what your clearance is, you must follow all procedures for decontamination otherwise you are not allowed to leave.

This is total bullshit.