Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Suffield, Alta. (Oct 29/01) - Five scientists who walked right up to dead bison to get anthrax samples were at low risk of getting infected, says a military scientist.

Precautions like bubble-style head covers were used this summer in Wood Buffalo National Park, when scientists swabbed carcasses with Q-Tips-like swabs. The risk would have been low even if the gear were not used, says military scientist Kent Harding.

"Anthrax is not normally contagious between bison and people. As long a you keep your hands gloved."

Anthrax can spread through a scratch in the skin, but Harding says it's much more deadly if the spores enter through the lungs or grow in the intestines.

He said the deadly spores on bison carcasses tend to be wet and congealed together, making it unlikely the bacteria will be inhaled.

Defence Research Establishment Suffield, from Canadian Forces Base Suffield in southern Alberta, sent three scientists to with research permits to a camp at Carlson's Point in Wood Buffalo National Park over the summer, accompanied by two scientists from the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and Louisiana States University.

Anthrax has infected the park's buffalo in sporadic natural outbreaks since 1962. Ninety-two of the animals died over summer, in addition to the more than a 100 that died of anthrax during 2000. Park warden Mike Keizer says the carcasses were left to rot, after the location of each was marked using Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

Over the years park officials have tried either burying, burning, or pouring formaldehyde on the carcasses.

"Our primary reason to exist is to do fundamental research and development to discover devices or treatments or protective equipment which will protect people from exposure to biological or chemical agents," Harding said.

The main focus has been on improving the speed and sensitivity of equipment being developed to identify anything that may become infected.

"Anthrax is one of the materials in which we have an interest in improving the speed of identification," he said.

Technology being developed in Suffield is based on DNA testing, he said.

"These are laboratory procedures leading to improved devices which will be portable in the field." Defence researchers don't actually build the machines.