From start to finish, we trace the steps in Fort Detrick's 2002 anthrax breach and detail USAMRIID's rapid response
Monday, April 8, 2002:
9 a.m.: Potential exposure occurs
In a sworn statement, a USAMRIID principal investigator said he was working in a laboratory with flasks containing anthrax and noticed they were leaking. The investigator reports the potential exposure to personnel in the suite.
One worker suggests he visit the health ward. He and another investigator visit the medical division, which swabs both individuals' noses and prescribed Ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic used to prevent bacterial infections.
One person's nasal swab tests positive for anthrax, but both individuals had been previously vaccinated against anthrax.
Wednesday, April 10:
USAMRIID's medical division confirms the investigator's nasal swabs are positive for anthrax.
Thursday, April 11:
USAMRIID tests areas near the biocontainment suite in which the exposure took place. The tests show anthrax contamination in several areas, including the inside handle of the passbox.
Monday, April 15:
USAMRIID microbiologist Dr. Bruce Ivins takes unauthorized samples outside the laboratory containment areas.
Dr. Ivins tests more than 50 samples from the men's change room, the area outside the passbox and his office. He finds heavy growth of Ames-strain anthrax, a pathogenic, or disease-causing, form of the agent, on rubber molding surrounding the non-containment side of a passbox.
In his office area, he finds Ames anthrax spores. The men's change room tests positive for Ames spores and a few colonies of Vollum 1B, a pathogenic form of anthrax.
Tuesday, April 16:
Dr. Ivins tells the USAMRIID Bacteriology Division chief of the preliminary results of the anthrax contamination.
USAMRIID begins testing for contamination in and around the passbox and the cold side of the female change room area.
Thursday, April 18:
The USAMRIID Bacteriology Division chief reports the findings to USAMRIID's deputy commander and acting commander, Col. Erik Henchal.
2 p.m.: The USAMRIID safety office learns of the contamination
3 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.: USAMRIID analyzes suspicious colonies and decontaminates previously positive areas. Subsequent testing shows the decontamination successfully removed the anthrax spores.
USAMRIID officials' tests show small numbers of strains Ames and Vollum 1B, as well as Sterne, a non-pathogenic strain used in vaccines, in Dr. Ivins' office.
A sample taken near the BSL-3 passbox tests positive for more than 200 spores of Ames-strain anthrax.
4:15 p.m.: Lt. Col. Kathleen Carr informs USAMRIID Commander Col. Edward Eitzen and USAMRMC headquarters of the potential contamination.
7 p.m.: Fort Detrick Commanding General Maj. Gen. Martinez-Lopez and the USAMRMC public affairs officer are contacted.
Friday, April 19:
8:30 a.m.: USAMRMC principal parties meet and formulate a press release.
USAMRIID notifies its workforce, then-Mayor of Frederick Jennifer Dougherty and the Jeanne Bussard laundry facility, which handles linens from USAMRIID's clean change rooms.
10 a.m.: USAMRIID holds meetings with its workforce and counsels them to go to USAMRIID's medical clinic if they are concerned they may be contaminated.
Two workers visit the medical division clinic; 15 are tested using nasal swabs and seven were put on preventive antibiotics. All swabs test negative for anthrax.
12 p.m.: USAMRIID staff meets to discuss a sampling plan.
2 p.m.: Sampling process begins.
USAMRIID collects 838 samples in Building 1425. Two samples test positive for the non-pathogenic Sterne anthrax strain used in vaccines.
3 p.m.: U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine staff arrives to help in sampling process
5 p.m.: USAMRIID principal staff meets to discuss evening sampling plan and a press release.
5:30 p.m.: Surveys in phase I are completed. Phase II surveys begin.
8:50 p.m.: Someone from USAMRIID calls Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. He says USAMRIID had blown the incident out of proportion and that publicizing the incident gives terrorists an advantage. He asks to have the soil on his farm tested.
Saturday, April 20:
9 a.m.: The USAMRIID team, Maj. Gen. Martinez-Lopez and CHPPM meet. Maj. Gen. Martinez-Lopez suggests USAMRIID issue a policy letter mandating anyone doing environmental sampling have approval by USAMRIID headquarters and coordinated with the safety office.
Maj. Gen. Martinez-Lopez says the USAMRIID areas in question should have been closed off Thursday night rather than early Friday.
9:50 a.m.: Mr. Bartlett arrives at USAMRIID, concerned of anthrax contamination on his private property near Buckeystown. Later soil tests are negative for anthrax.
6 p.m.: CHPPM collects samples from the Jeanne Bussard laundry facility.
CHPPM finds no contamination at the laundry facility.
Sunday, April 21:
8 a.m.: At a USAMRIID meeting, tells the group the spores isolated from the nasal swab exposed in the BSL-3 containment lab April 8 are not the same type of spores as those found outside the lab, de-linking the two findings
Maj. Gen. Martinez-Lopez says because of the suspicious nature of those findings, he orders an investigation.
He reiterates a need for USAMRIID to institute a system of checks and balances for future incidents and a need to enforce a routine sampling program.
1:50 p.m.: states samples from the Jeanne Bussard laundry facility and USAMRIID maintenance shop and incinerator appear non-pathogenic.
2:56 p.m.: All 54 samples taken from the Jeanne Bussard laundry facility and USAMRIID maintenance shop and incinerator are negative for contamination.
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