16 STAFFERS KNOWN EXPOSED, NO ONE REPORTED ILL (In ricin incident -- New info)

AP Wire ^ | Feb. 3, 2004 | AP Wire

[varina davis]

16 Staffers Known Exposed, No One Reported Ill

By Lauran Neergaard The Associated Press Published: Feb 3, 2004

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sixteen Senate staffers underwent decontamination - basically a fancy word for showering - for exposure to the deadly poison ricin, and so far no one has turned up ill. That reassures health officials, who note that enough people were around the ricin-containing powder that if anyone were going to be ill, symptoms should have begun by now.

"As each minute ticks by, we are less and less concerned about the health effects," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 12 of the Senate staffers decontaminated came from the office of Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., whose personal offices are near Frist's on the fourth floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

"Nearly a dozen of my staff members were quarantined last night, and later decontaminated. They didn't get home until after 2 in the morning," Jeffords said. "Thankfully, everyone is feeling fine and they don't appear to have ill effects."

Ricin is a poison extracted from the bean-like seeds of the castor plant, beans that usually are used to make castor oil, used as a laxative and in automotive brake fluid. Ricin, however, is also a potent poison and a small dose can be fatal if swallowed, injected or inhaled.

People exposed to ricin and certain other chemical agents can protect themselves in two ways - leaving the area to breathe fresh air and getting rid of any of the toxin that might be on the skin.

The 16 people who underwent decontamination included staff of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, in whose office mailroom the white powder was discovered Monday; others were Senate employees, said one source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Typically, emergency workers wheel in tented showers. People take off all their clothing, which is sealed inside plastic bags to protect against spread of any toxin left on the material. Then they wash with large amounts of soap and water.

Powder was on a countertop and people had been around all day, meaning if anyone were going to be ill, signs from that contact should have appeared by now, said Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota, who advises the government on terrorism issues.

"It begins almost immediately," he said. "The fact that you have no clinical illnesses ... that's a good sign."

If the ricin were pure, "we would expect very early onset," CDC's Gerberding said. "The fact that we haven't seen that is reassuring."

Still, CDC recommended that anyone who could have come into contact with the poison and who experiences respiratory or intestinal problems within 12 hours of exposure go to a doctor.

In an advisory sent to Washington-area physicians shortly before 5 a.m. Tuesday, the CDC urged that they be alert to symptoms.

"In addition to the risk for inhalation, potential hand-to-mouth exposure, leading to ingestion, may have occurred," the CDC advisory says. "Clinicians are urged to review the signs and symptoms of both inhalation and ingestion of ricin and consider the diagnosis with their patients."

Ingesting ricin causes stomach ache, diarrhea and vomiting that may become bloody. Inhaling ricin causes difficulty breathing, fever, cough and tightness in the chest.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Sixteen Senate staffers underwent decontamination - basically a fancy word for showering

Duuuuuuh.

By the by, since Sen. Frist was the target, I wonder if they'll blame a "Radical Left-Winger" for this? I mean, after all, if Daschle were the target, "Radical Right-Wingers" would be the prime suspect.

[Maringa]

"Still, CDC recommended that anyone who could have come into contact with the poison and who experiences respiratory or intestinal problems within 12 hours of exposure go to a doctor."

Based on what I have read, you might as well save your family some money by not going to the doctor, and just go ahead and make your funeral arrangements....

"Ingesting ricin causes stomach ache, diarrhea and vomiting that may become bloody. Inhaling ricin causes difficulty breathing, fever, cough and tightness in the chest."

Left out one minor detail: Certain death!!!!

[international american]

"Left out one minor detail: Certain death!!!!"


Just a minor detail......

[OneTimeLurker]

"Still, CDC recommended that anyone who could have come into contact with the poison and who experiences respiratory or intestinal problems within 12 hours of exposure go to a doctor."

Good thing they added that part.

[John H K]

There's no substance that is "certain death" in ANY quantitity.

You need to inhale quite a bit of ricin to even get sick, and it's not an aerosol.

And it's still quite likely (despite the recent botched MSNBC story and Frist's statements) that there was no Ricin at all, as the final tests from Ft. Detrick are NOT in yet.

[diamondjoe]

Frist is hardly a "name" for the hard-core left. I imagine they'd go after DeLay or Santorum before going after Frist.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

He "took" Daschle's job...that's got to upset some hard-leftists.

[oldironsides]

Is there now a problem with Hartford post office? I hope not.

[twigs]

I don't think they are going after an individual; it seems they are going after the leader of the Senate. First it was Daschle, now Frist.

[Trueblackman]

I blame the rabid leftwing for this George Sorons, DUers, the Clintons Terry McAullife and all the rest that have been tearing down Bush and the Republicans. it is time for an investigation lead by Ashcroft and DNC Headquarters should be the first stop.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Nah, can't be. Kerry said that the threat of terrorism was "exaggerated"! I'm sure it's all just our imagination.

(/s)

[diamondjoe]

Actually, he took Lott's job.

[twigs]

Yes he did. But Daschle was majority leader at the time of the anthrax mailings to the senate, wasn't he?

[Sacajaweau]

No, I just think it's just the building in general. The zip, room no. might match with one of the original anthrax letters. Do we know that this was addressed to a particular person, with particular writing, etc?? If perhaps it's the same folks who did the anthrax, I'd say they would duplicate the original working plan with a few innovations.

They're really not telling us much.

[Petronski]

AP gave this story a lousy title, but yes, this is definitely a terrorist attack. Not terribly effective, and not necessarily international, but certainly terrorist.

[alley cat]

At least 12 of the Senate staffers decontaminated came from the office of Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt

If they work for Jeffords they probably need some decontamination anyway.

(OK that was perhaps a BIT insensitive...)