Today's Topics:

2. Madison Capital Times: UW lab houses world's worst flu
(Edward Hammond)
1. Salt Lake Trib: Dugway site could see expansion (Edward Hammond)
3. Versar Announces BSL-3 Certification for its Biodefense
Laboratory (Edward Hammond)

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2435584

Article Last Updated: 11/02/2004 01:47 AM

Dugway site could see expansion

By Dawn House
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune

Dugway Proving Ground, the supersecret Tooele County military
installation already the size of Rhode Island, is seeking permission
from the U.S. Army to acquire more land.
The request comes on the heels of Dugway's final plan, released
last month, to double biological and chemical weapons defense testing
and expand counterterrorism training. A mock city is to be built for
urban chemical and biological attack exercises and several existing
facilities will be used for counterterrorism training for both
military and civilian personnel in Utah's west desert.
Dugway has released little information on its request to increase
the size of the installation 80 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
Other than a seven-sentence statement, Dugway officials were mum on
the request, where the land is located, its size or the purpose for
which it might be used.
"A request for permission to study the feasibility of withdrawal
for military use of additional public lands adjacent to Dugway has
been sent through the Department of the Army chain of command," said
a statement released on Monday. "No action has been taken at this
time and it is not known how long the process will take once it
begins."
Dugway officials said "preliminary discussions" also have been
held with the Bureau of Land Management involving "training use" of
lands adjacent to Dugway currently administered by the BLM and once
leased by the Army.
Steve Erickson, director of a watchdog group called Citizens
Education Project, said the land is likely a large stretch of BLM
land on the installations' southeastern side, north of the
Tooele-Juab county line and west of the historic Pony Express Trail.
"Dugway made an unsuccessful effort in the late 1980s to grab that
land from the BLM because, according to Dugway at the time, there was
a high potential for unexploded nerve gas shells on those acreages,
but they were unable to effectively document the existence of any
unexploded ordinance," he said.
Erickson said the land in question is at least 100 square miles.
"It's puzzling what they are trying to accommodate," he said. "And
it's troubling because they would be getting awfully close to a lot
of recreational thoroughfares."
After repeated inquiries, Dugway spokeswoman Paula Nicholson said
she has no idea of the amount of land involved in the expansion or
where it is located because "the people I need to talk to are all
off-site."
The Dugway statement said: "In the event approval is received from
the Army, discussions and agreements between agencies would still be
necessary, as well as Congressional approval for any changes to
current Dugway boundaries."
A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said the congressman
likely has been briefed on the issue but his office does not have
specific information at this time. Dugway is located in the
representative's district.
Dugway's primary mission stems from it being the only Army
installation large and remote enough to conduct "comprehensive and
realistic" testing of biological and chemical systems, munitions,
smoke and obscurants without posing a risk to public safety,
according to the three-volume plan to double its testing programs.
The final testing plan has been forwarded to the Pentagon for
final approval.


--

"I have been shipwrecked, subjected to disease, chased by drugs
traffickers, and fed by the chief of a clan of head hunters. I've
been to places where no white man has ever been. I'm proud to have
extended the boundaries of science."

- Supplication of Henry Azadehdel at the Old Bailey, 1989.
Biodefense researchers take note: Henry was convicted.

==========

http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/FoodHerbHealth/ - YOU MUST READ

RECENT POSTS HERE FOR NATURAL FLU CURES, etc.

==========

http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=15209&ntpid=1

Madison (WI) Capital Times

Doug Moe: UW lab houses world's worst flu

By Doug Moe
November 1, 2004

I KNOW, I know. You already have plenty to worry about. The gutters
on your house are full of leaves, the Bowl Championship Series has
been punking the Badgers, and if you hear one more negative campaign
ad on radio or TV, you're going to hurt somebody.

You probably don't need to hear that a British scientific journal
just listed Madison as ground zero for a plague that, when last
unleashed on the world, killed 40 million people.

That's tough news to read on a Monday, I'll grant you, though on the
other hand it does make the annoying rattle behind the glove
compartment in your car seem kind of unimportant.

The Oct. 23 issue of New Scientist included an article by Debora
McKenzie headlined: "Could 1918 flu virus escape from labs?" The
subhead on McKenzie's article said this: "Scientists experimenting on
reconstructions of the lethal pandemic virus are accused of
compromising on safety."

UW-Madison scientist Yoshihiro Kawaoka has been conducting
experiments in his laboratory here on the so-called Spanish flu of
1918, which killed tens of millions around the world and more than
600,000 people in the United States.

Kawaoka is a virologist respected around the world for his research
into the mysterious origins and spread of various kinds of influenza.
Results of his experiments are regularly reported in both the
scientific trades and the popular press.

Early last month, Kawaoka was again in the news when he published an
article in the science journal Nature announcing he had isolated a
gene that, in mice, turned an ordinary flu into the horrific flu of
the 1918 pandemic.

The Oct. 23 New Scientist story is not the kind of notice Kawaoka
usually receives. The story begins: "The 1918 flu virus spread across
the world in three months and killed at least 40 million people. If
it escaped from a lab today, the death toll would be far higher. 'The
potential implications of an infected lab worker - and spread beyond
the lab - are terrifying,' says D.A. Henderson of the University of
Pittsburgh, a leading biosecurity expert.

"Yet despite the danger," the story continues, "researchers in the
U.S. are working with reconstructed versions of the virus at less
than the maximum level of containment. Many other experts are worried
about the risks. 'All the virologists I have spoken to have
concerns,' says Ingegerd Kallings of the Swedish Institute for
Infectious Disease Control in Stockholm, who helped set laboratory
safety standards for the World Health Organization."

New Scientist goes on to say that the most recent research is being
done by Kawaoka in Madison.

"The latest work was done by Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of
Wisconsin at Madison. His team showed that adding the 1918 gene for
the surface protein haemagglutinin to modern viruses made them far
deadlier to mice. The researchers also found that people born after
1918 have little or no immunity."

The magazine then notes - and this is the crux of the story - that
the lab in Madison has a lower biosecurity level - BLS - than a very
few other labs that have the highest possible levels of containment.
The highest level is BSL-4. The Madison lab is BSL-3Ag, or 3-plus.
New Scientist notes: "The main difference between BSL-4 and BSL-3Ag
is that precautions to ensure staff do not get infected are less
stringent: While BSL-4 involves wearing fully enclosed body suits,
those working at BSL-3Ag labs typically have half-suits."

New Scientist did note that Kawaoka "is considered unusually
cautious" by his colleagues. And he told the magazine that an
antiviral drug, oseltamivir, given in advance to the mice in the
experiment, had prevented them from getting sick. "This means," New
Scientist quoted Kawaoka as saying, "that if all lab workers take
oseltamivir 'they cannot become infected.' "

The magazine, though, followed that with this: "Yet this assumes that
the mouse results apply to humans."

New Scientist then quoted a UK expert, John Wood of the National
Institute for Biological Standards and Controls, saying, "We would do
any such work at BSL-4."

New Scientist notes that "the recent SARS escapes were from BSL-3 labs."

I tried to reach Kawaoka by phone most of last week, but he was
traveling outside the country. Over the weekend he sent me an e-mail
strongly stating his belief that the Madison lab is safe.
"Experiments with these viruses can be safely performed under BSL-3
conditions," Kawaoka wrote. He listed 13 specific safety practices
including the taking of the antiviral drug by all personnel working
with the virus; powered air purifying respirators with face shields;
and showering and the removal of personal clothing by personnel in
outer changing rooms.

"In addition," Kawaoka wrote me, "because we also work with pathogens
identified by the U.S. government as select agents (i.e., highly
pathogenic avian influenza viruses), our BSL-3 labs are highly
secure. Access is strictly limited (identification card swipe and key
restrictions) and only personnel that have satisfied FBI background
checks can work in the labs. ... Our work with influenza viruses that
contain 1918 virus genes is conducted under strict biosecurity."

Kawaoka concluded: "At the last biosafety meeting of the NIH
Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee, which was held Sept. 21-22, 2004,
I presented our risk assessment of our work on influenza viruses. No
concern was raised by any of the committee members that attended this
meeting regarding our decision to work with these viruses under BSL-3
conditions."
=========================

From: Edward Hammond
Subject: [Biodefense] Versar Announces BSL-3 Certification for its
Biodefense Laboratory
To: biodefense@...



Versar's playing coy about where the lab referenced in the press
release below is; but various other sources suggest it is located in
or near Gaithersburg, MD. Here's what its most recent 10-K (report
filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission) had to say:

"Biological Defense Laboratory: The Company's biological defense
laboratory was expanded in fiscal year 2004 to respond to the
anticipated increase in demand for biological agent testing and
identification services. Current projects include support for the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biocomputational
program, an award as a subcontractor from the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) for
biological detection systems testing and evaluation, testing of a
new, comprehensive filtration system for high security facilities
worldwide, continued testing for bacillus anthracis in the
environment, and research and development programs. The Biological
Defense Laboratory currently operates at Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2).
During fiscal year 2004, planned upgrades to the laboratory were
completed to allow Biosafety Level 3 operations under regulations
from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), which will allow the
Company in fiscal year 2005 to enter new markets that require the
ability to handle live pathogens in real time."

---------

PR Newswire

Versar Announces BSL-3 Certification for its Biodefense Laboratory
(Appoints New Biodefense Laboratory Director )

SPRINGFIELD, Va., Nov 1, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ --
VERSAR, Inc. ( AMEX:VSR) announced today its Biodefense Laboratory
has been certified for Biosafety Level 3 operations under Center for
Disease Control/National Institute of Health (CDC/NIH) requirements.
The certification allows the Biodefense Laboratory to work with
microorganisms and toxins requiring BSL-3 containment in support of
homeland security, biodefense and biotechnology programs.

The Company also announced that Dr. Claudia Benack has become the
Biodefense Laboratory Director. Dr. Benack has over 25 years of
experience in biological and biochemical programs, including BSL-3
work involving U.S. Department of Defense biodefense programs. Dr.
Benack holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and microbiology and was an NIH
Postdoctoral Fellow in Biochemistry.

Dr. Ted Prociv, President and CEO of Versar stated, "Achieving this
certification and the assignment of Dr. Benack as Director are
critical milestones in our plan to expand work in the biodefense
arena, which is major focus of the U.S. strategy to counter terrorist
threats. We foresee additional opportunities to participate in
protecting the Country from biological and other threats from
'weapons of mass destruction'."

Versar, Inc., headquartered in Springfield, VA, is a publicly held
professional services firm supporting government and industry in
national defense/homeland defense programs, environmental health and
safety and infrastructure revitalization. Versar operates a number of
web sites, including the corporate Web sites, http://www.versar.com,
http://www.homelanddefense.com, and http://www.geomet.com; and a B2B
portal for homeland defense products and services,
http://www.nbcprotect.com and http://www.dtaps.com .

This press release contains forward-looking information. The forward-
looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements may be significantly impacted by certain risks and
uncertainties described herein and in Versar's Annual Report on Form
10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year
ended June 30, 2004.

Contact: James Dobbs (703) 642-6712 Senior Vice President Email:
jdobbs@...

Investor Relations Contact: Andrew J. Kaplan (732) 747-0702 Barry
Kaplan Associates 623 River Road Fair Haven, NJ 07704 Email:
smallkap@...

SOURCE Versar, Inc.,

CONTACT: James Dobbs, Senior Vice President of Versar,
+1-703-642-6712, jdobbs@...; or Andrew J. Kaplan, Investor
Relations Contact of Barry Kaplan Associates, +1-732-747-0702,
smallkap@... , for Versar