Snippets: Scientists at City of Hope and the California Department of Public Health have developed a new ultrasensitive assay to detect botulinum neurotoxin. The toxin is one of the most poisonous substances known that can cause life-threatening disease, and is considered a major potential bioterrorism threat agent.
he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify botulinum neurotoxin as one of six "maximum threat" bioterrorism agents due to its potency, lethality and ease of production and transport. One gram of botulinum toxin could kill more than 1 million people, according to a 2001 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Report slams US food safety system
Snippets: The current system that guarantees the safety of food in the United States is in a state of crisis, a new report finds.
"One in four Americans are sickened by food-borne illness each year, that's 76 million people," Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health said during a morning teleconference Wednesday. "That number is far too high, and major gaps in our nation's food safety system are to blame."
"The major problem with the current food safety system is that no one person is in charge," Levi said. "Instead, there are total of 15 federal agencies that play a role in administering some 30 laws related to food safety."
Wow, that’s some potent stuff!
Side note. If we get the predicted storm, we will probably lose power for a few days. Snowing like crazy now and with the wind blowing up 60MPH gusts, we will get some power lines down. We’ve stocked up on water, food, candles, etc.
Gotta love this Gore Bull warming!