Volume 9, Number 4—April 2003
Dispatch
Fear of Bioterrorism and Implications for Public Health Preparedness
Mark S. Dworkin*
, Xinfang Ma*, and Roman G. Golash*
, Xinfang Ma*, and Roman G. Golash*Table 1
Results of 1,364 environmental specimens submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Laboratories (Chicago laboratory) for Bacillus anthracis testing, October–December 2001
| Organism | Powder (%) | Nonpowder (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Total |
573 (42.0) |
791 (58.0) |
| B. cereus |
110 (19.2) |
63 (8.0) |
| B. subtilis |
29 (5.1) |
32 (4.0) |
| Other Bacillus species (hemolytic, positive motility) |
21 (3.7) |
40 |
| B. mycoides |
16 (2.8) |
6 |
| B. circulans |
10 (1.7) |
4 |
| B. pumilus |
2 (0.3) |
5 |
| B. brevis |
1 (0.2) |
1 |
| B. laterosporus |
0 |
1 |
| B. megaterium |
0 |
1 |
| B. polymyxa |
0 |
1 |
| B. anthracis |
0 |
0 |
| Staphylococcus species (nonhemolytic) |
137 (23.9) |
180 |
| Staphylococcus aureus |
3 (0.5) |
5 |
| Other mixed gram-positive organisms |
48 (8.3) |
68 |
| Gram-negative bacilli |
80 (14.0) |
72 |
| Enterobacter agglomerans |
1 (0.2) |
0 |
| Moraxella catarrhalis |
1 (0.2) |
0 |
| Mixed other gram-positive organisms and mold |
8 (1.4) |
11 |
| Mold |
19 (3.3) |
32 |
| No growth | 87 (15.2) | 269 |
