◆ SpookStack

ae oY ‘ intensity of contamination from To: Washington Field From: Washington viel Re: 279A-WF-222936-USAMRIID, 05/24/2005 areas of the suite. Some of the positive cultures in the B3 Suite were emr+, while others tested erm-. The erm-resistant (erm+) strain contamination followed[ | tracks in the laboratory suite.* Approximately 31 colonies of B.a. were cultured from the handle of the B3 pass-box inside the suite.*® The colonies derived from the pags- not tested for erythromycin sensitivity because did not access the pass-box on the day of the laboratory accident. An erm- result was obtained for a colony from the B3 break room where the pass-box was located, indicating that the contaminating_colony was not associated with the April 8, 2002, accident.*® [ras concerned that{ —_ ]founa contamination on the Tatch of the pass-thru box, as the area was the point of entry and exit from materials into and out of B3.*’ All areas with contamination were cleaned with 20% bleach and were negative upon resurvey by swab culture. indicated that the level of contamination found during survey of suite B3 was approximately the same as present on many occasi en routine surveillance was performed in the hot suite.*® Pee asvisea that[___]findings did not appear out of the ordinary for a laboratory environment. Though spores were located on the "hot-side" handle of the pass-thru box, sampling inside the box was negative, which indicated to [___ret a breach in containment from the "hot-side" to the "cold-side" had not occurred. **® Following the suite-wide sampling, held a meeting with the [______]Pivision to advise of findings and to notify personnel that "periodic sterility checks" would be re-instituted immediately.*° According tol prior to the April 8, 2002 incident, bacteriological monitoring of the BSL-3 was not conducted routinely.®* Until a number of years prior to 2002, weekly surveillance was performed. [~~ Jbelieved that the practice stopped when anthrax research diminished and had not been reinitiated on a regular basis.™ Contrary to[ __—_—sddvis felt that the total Suite-wide survey was greater than expected and also of special concern, since spores were found on the inside pass-box latch, as well as on shoes and articles of clothing in the hot-side change rooms. On Monday, April 15, 2002, IVINS suggested to hat they also swab parts of the cold-side for possible contamination. IVINS suggested areas to sample, including his office, the cold-side of the pass-thru_ box, and shower shoes in the cold-side men's change room. [sid not understand why IVINS made this suggestion a [