prion disease and nerve-gas

[Walter Ogston]

harry at audre.com (William Harry) writes: 
[snip]
> These media reports brought to mind other sources which I read
> several years ago according to which large tracts of land in north/central
> England had been long-teerm contaminated as the result of
> chemical/biological weapons testing.  The coincidence caused me to
> wonder whether there mightn't be an intrinsic connection.  Can anyone
> shed some light?
> 
> 
The incident referred to was a WWII experiment which spread
spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis over a small island
off northern Scotland, NOT "large tracts of land in
north/central England" (geography lesson).  

The island was placed off limits for a long time, and from time
to time researchers went back to estimate the survival of
spores.  When it was originally done this work was classified,
but if I am not mistaken the data has been released under the
50-year rule, and there are published reports.  I have some
recollection of a book that was published, does anyone else have
more info?  
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter Ogston				ogston at hobbes.kzoo.edu
Department of Biology			Phone: (616)337-7010
Kalamazoo College			Fax:   (616)337-7251
Kalamazoo, MI 49006-3295