Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (Aug 27/01) - Some new gear and research may help scientists discover answers to some of the questions concerning the cause and cure of anthrax.

Ed Coulthard, manager of warden services for Wood Buffalo National Park, said an inter-agency arrangement between Canadian and American military and an American university was just completed in the park.

Following an anthrax outbreak last summer, which killed 130 bison, a group met last fall to identify some research priorities for anthrax in Northern Canada.

"As a result of that meeting Wood Buffalo Park agreed to two research permits," Coulthard said.

A research camp was established at Carlson's Point in Wood Buffalo National Park for scientists from Louisiana State University -- who had done soil contamination surveys last summer -- Defence Research Establishment Suffield, from Canadian Forces Base Suffield in southern Alberta, and from the United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. All were conducting research in the park and testing new detection equipment.

"They had three pieces of equipment they wanted to have evaluated," said Coulthard. "They are three commercial pieces of equipment used to detect anthrax spores either in carcasses or in the soil."

Anthrax is a spore that can lie dormant in soil for years, once inhaled or ingested, the spores rapidly multiply, creating toxins in the blood that cause cell breakdown and lethal internal bleeding. Sporadic outbreaks have been recorded in the park since 1962.

There are still many unanswered questions to the treatment of anthrax and how to remove the spore from soil, but this new research may answer some of those questions.

Currently, when an anthrax outbreak is suspected, park officials must send soil or carcass samples to Lethbridge, Alta. or the U.S. for testing.

"With this equipment we're drawing the samples one day and can have the results back the next day," said Coulthard.

"That's a big plus for us in terms of our research perspective in looking at options of how we deal with anthrax in the future."

He added that the testing equipment will have applications for wildlife and agricultural purposes, but that the military is not involved for biological warfare purposes.

"There are no X-Files here," he laughed.

Northwest Territories Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development is currently testing methods to remove the spores using formaldehyde. They are also testing for anthrax spores before and after burning carcasses, in hopes of finding a permanent solution to ridding the soil of the pestilence.