Transcript Document

BioCheck™ Powder
Screening Test Kit
Bioterrorism:
Renewed Threats
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
WASHINGTON (AP)— The top intelligence official at the Homeland
Security Department, worried about an increased risk of attack in
coming months, says Al Qaeda wants to strike on U.S. soil with
something other than a conventional explosive — perhaps with a
chemical or biological weapon
Retired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes…worries about chemical and biological
attacks, including a dirty bomb. And, in particular, he points to the
possibility of another anthrax biological attack, following the one that
wreaked havoc on the postal system, closed a Senate building for three
months and killed five in 2001.
"It's not the only one," Hughes said of that possibility, but anthrax is
easy to produce and disperse, he said, noting that the recipes for it and
the deadly poison, ricin, are on the Internet. "It's not hard to do."
1 Real Threat =
1,000 False Alarms
Powdered Sugar;
Flour
Cornstarch
Cosmetics
Drywall Dust
Needs of first responders
Reliable results (low false positive
and negative)
Reasonable price
Speed in obtaining results
Ease of use
Long shelf life & robust
Limitations of Existing Field
Tests
 Require Instrumentation ($$$)
 Different tests Needed for each
agent (Ricin, Anthrax, etc.) ($$$)
 Complex to use
 Not easily scalable
Short shelf life: not robust
 False positive = Panic!
Needed
Simple, reliable, disposable, inexpensive, test to
quickly rule out most of the substances that
the public suspects might be bio-terror agents
BioCheck™ Powder Screening Test Kit

Indicates the presence or
absence of protein in
suspicious powders
through a simple color
change.

A simple chemical test for
protein: a change to purple
in the test tube indicates a
possible biothreat.

pH test provides additional
information (bioterrorist
materials are more likely
to be of physiological
(neutral) pH.
BioCheck™ Powder Screening Test Kit
BioCheck simultaneously screens for the
bio-terror agents anthrax, ricin and
botulinum toxin in 10 minutes or less.
BioCheck™ Kit Protocol
BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step
Confirm that product has not passed
expiration date (on front of box)
before using.
BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step
Tubes and swabs should be at or near room
temperature before deployment
BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step
Do not confuse the ‘Protein Detection’ swab (used
first to collect and test the sample) with the ‘Protein
Control’ swab (used as a positive control to confirm a
negative result for protein).
BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step
The pH test does not provide an answer
to the question ‘Is this a possible
bioterror agent?’ (This is the function of
the protein test). Rather, it provides
additional information about the
substance being tested
BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step
BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step
NOTE: A positive is the appearance of a purple color
in the solution (not just on the swab or on the
powder sample)
NOTE: A positive (purple color in the ‘Protein’ test
solution) does not necessarily indicate the presence
of a bioterror agent: merely the need for further
testing. In actual 911 calls, 87% of substances
were negative for protein.
BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step
If the Positive Control Swab does NOT
cause a negative protein test to turn
positive (purple) repeat testing with another
BioCheck Kit or test with a different
methodology
BioCheck Result Summary Chart
The pH test is advisory: high and low pH materials are less likely to be
biological in origin. The protein result determines the proper course of
action, no matter what the pH result
Protein result
Control result
pH result
Conclusion
Positive
n/a
Any
Positive: protein is present
Negative
Positive
Any
Negative: Follow local protocol
Negative
Negative
Any
Invalid Test Result
Examples of Positive and Negative
Substances (Protein)
Protein Negative
• Dangerous chemical
agents
OR
 Sugar (powdered)
 Plaster dust
 Salt
 Corn starch
 Dry wall dust
Protein Positive
• Biological warfare agents
OR
 Yeast
 Pancake mix
 Corn meal
Proven in the Field
In more than 50 911 calls in 2002, more than
85% of substances tested were NEGATIVE for
protein ruling out a bio-terror agent.
The product has been successfully tested
against Anthrax and simulants
Hundreds of first responder agencies using
BioCheck nationwide: the kit has been
incorporated into SOPs for responding to
suspicious powder calls.
Threat Assessment
Visual Assessment
PID Screening
Example of Field SOP
Radiological Screening
Chem Warfare Agent
Screening
If warranted
20/20 Protein-pH Test
If NEG Protein-Hi/Lo PH
Sensor IR Screening
If POS Protein-Neutral pH
Prime Alert Microbe Test
If POSITIVE
Tetracore Strips (5 tests)
If Airborne – use Mesosystems Air Sampler
If POS
Notify SP Ops, MPD & FBI
Prepare sample for Lab (SWAB)
Bag Item for evidence (Triple bag)
Do Not Perform Site/Evidence Decon until
Investigation is complete
Any POS indication shall be reconfirmed by a minimum of two (2) methods –
no samples are confirmed positive without laboratory confirmation!
For more information:
Ph: 866-572-2020
24 hour: 202 669-5189
www.biocheckinfo.com