OT: Alarm sounded over bacterium

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Alarm sounded over bacterium

Friday, April 2, 2010 2:50 AM

By Jim Woods

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

lin County officials have detected a higher-than-normal level of a

bacterium that could be used as a biological agent, causing them to contact a

number of state and federal agencies, including Homeland Security.

But Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. C. Long said there is no cause for

alarm about the tularemia bacterium.

" At this time, we believe that this finding is not a public health risk, " Long

said.

Long said the reading detected yesterday at one of the county's air stations

could have been the result of a newer, more-sensitive testing process that

started yesterday.

The reading was not high enough to cause concern for humans or animals, she

said. Officials wouldn't say from which air station the reading came.

Tularemia can be used as an agent for biological terrorism, according to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Long, however, said she didn't know

of such a case in this country.

Columbus Public Health and the lin County Board of Health regularly are in

contact with agencies such as Homeland Security and the FBI to share

information, said , spokesman for Columbus Public Health. He said

this notification was routine.

Tularemia occurs naturally in Ohio, though it also can be spread via ticks,

insects, rabbits and rodents. No cases of tularemia have been reported recently

in this area, Long said.

The most-recently reported case was in lin County in 2009, the result of a

tick bite. That person recovered.

Symptoms of tularemia appear within three to five days of infection. They can

include sudden fever, chills, headache, diarrhea, muscles aches, joint pain, dry

cough and weakness. Pneumonia also can set in. If treated early with

antibiotics, the patient can recover.

If a person has such symptoms, he or she should contact a doctor,

said.

jwoods@...