-Caveat Lector- February 3, 2003 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/03/health/03BLOO.html Quarantine Expands as White Substance Is Found in More Blood
By MICHAEL WILSON Blood in the Nashville region was quarantined yesterday after a mysterious white fatty substance was found in three samples of donated blood, the Red Cross said. The discovery came two days after 110 units containing the substance were found in Atlanta. No harmful effects on patients have been reported. The substance has not been identified. It is described as floating in sealed blood bags either invisibly in tiny particles or in pea-size globs. "It doesn't appear to be human in origin," said Dr. Christopher D. Hillyer, an Emory University professor who works with the Red Cross. There have been no reports of patients receiving the tainted blood, and officials said they had no idea what would happen if they did. The Nashville quarantine affects hospitals in parts of Kentucky and Illinois as well as Tennessee, shelving about 70 percent of the region's Red Cross blood supply, said Ryland Dodge, a spokesman. Hospitals were being notified last night. On Friday, the Red Cross quarantined thousands of units of blood after the 110 units in Atlanta, out of about 4,000 tested, were found to contain the substance. In all the cases, the blood was in plastic bags manufactured by the Baxter Healthcare Corporation, a subsidiary of Baxter International Inc. A spokesman for the company could not be reached yesterday. On Friday, a spokeswoman for Baxter Healthcare, based in Deerfield, Ill., said the company had done its own preliminary tests on four samples and found nothing wrong with the bags. The Red Cross is replacing the quarantined blood with blood from elsewhere in the country, Mr. Dodge said. Likewise, 2,000 units were shipped to Atlanta after Friday's discovery. "I don't think anybody knows right now" what the substance is or whether it will appear in another region, said Karen Shoos Lipton of the American Association of Blood Banks. "I think the thing we take some comfort in is we haven't had any reports of patient-adverse reactions." The Food and Drug Administration is investigating, along with state authorities, the Red Cross, Baxter and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The F.D.A. is aware the scope has expanded outside of the Atlanta area, and that is part of our investigation," said Jason Brodsky, a spokesman for the agency. The centers tested the samples for a variety of bacterial and bio-threat agents, and the results were negative, said Dr. Peter Page of the Red Cross. Further chemical tests are continuing. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company | Permissions | Privacy Policy Forwarded for your information. The text and intent of the article have to stand on their own merits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many genera- tions. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of teachers, elders or wise men. Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all. Then accept it and live up to it." The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sut <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
