PARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
OPERATION MEADOW
CAUSE
The disc began by showing the insect genus myrmecia, commonly called the bulldog ant though called by many other names. Found almost exclusively in Australia, a predator known for a vicious sting more painful than a wasp sting. A solitary ant, hunts alone or in small numbers. A large ant measuring up to one and a half inches long. The ant probably evolved from a wasp-like creature millions of years ago.
Lampros paused the video. "We think the terrorists have chosen the bulldog ant because it is not communal. This type does colonize, but hunts and forages either alone or in small packs. For that reason it is harder to track. It was also chosen because it is large and capable of hosting one or more parasites that attach to it. Though this species of ant is not generally formidable enough to cause life threatening harm to humans or animals, it has in this case been genetically altered and its venom is three times more powerful than that of an unaltered bulldog. The CDC in Atlanta and a biological lab in Hawaii have both found traces of the banded sea krait venom in the ant venom. That combination has resulted in an extremely devastating sting. It can cause anaphylactic shock, particularly to subjects which are allergic to the venom. Still, acting alone this ant cannot cause what we saw in the first presentation. The genetic alteration has caused the ants to work in concert, to plan attacks, and then attack when the odds of winning are satisfactory. Mr. Klein, it's the en masse attacks that are capable of killing an animal as large as your hog."
Murray interjected, "we have evidence that the ants are being transported via a smuggling operation, together with the parasite you'll see next, within decayed logs of the acacia Senegal tree.
This type of tree is known to be a favored nesting site of the ant. The terrorists seal the log to efficiently contain the ants in transport. Once delivered to a target site, the logs are split open and left for nature to take its course. One single log can host 2,000 to 3,000 ants and an equal number of mites."
Next was shown a five minute segment of the ant in its natural habitat, its hunting prowess, and its effective use of powerful mandibles and stinger. A narrator said that the mandibles, for their size, are comparable to a pair of scissors cutting through quarter inch sheet metal. He also said that when a human is stung that the pain is excruciating, in many cases debilitating, and the pain can last for up to a week. The stinger does not disengage like that of some stinging insects so that a single ant can inflict many stings.
When that segment ended another one began, the new one showing a still picture of an anthropoid, genus tetranychidae, commonly called the spider mite.
Lampros commented, "I assume you are familiar with this pest. Annually the loss of crops because of this mite can run as high as five percent. But, gentlemen, this spider mite has also been genetically altered. It carries within its system a pathogen that is transferable to plant and animal life. The mite not only ingests the leaves of plants that causes the kind of crop damage you just saw, it also has the ability to infect the leaf with a pathogen that is known to be communicable. If unchecked, this could potentially have the same type of devastating effect as the potato blight in Ireland, or the wheat leaf blight here in the States. What is worse, spider mites naturally only feed on plant life, but the genetic engineering done on them also makes them carnivorous."
Murray took over, "This is how it works. The bulldog ant is the host, the mite affixes to the underside of the ant as a parasite. Once released from the tree log, the ants hunt as they would normally, usually seeking nectar sources as well as small insects, but because of the alteration, a single ant can effectively win struggles against larger insects or small animals, like a mouse, and when swarming, a much larger animal particularly when the animal is allergic to the venom. When the ant traverses through vegetation, some of the mites disembark and transfer to plant life, but not all of them. When a group of ants is threatened by animal life, the ants will bite and sting in concert utilizing an organized attack, injecting the painful venom, which as has been said, is at least three times more potent. The mites that have not yet transferred to vegetation, once the ant mandibles have opened a wound on the animal, invade the animal and feed on the soft internal tissue. The more wounds, the more invasions. The animal would then have a life threatening pathogen spreading through its internal structure. When a wound opening becomes large enough, the ants will enter into the body and begin feasting. The victim suffers intense pain upon the first sting or stings, and localized paralysis surrounding each sting location diminishes the victim's ability to defend itself. When the mites gain entry it only takes minutes for the victim to become ill, and in hours violently ill. There exists the possibility that an infected animal could be slaughtered for market, and if so the disease could be spread to humans. Vegetables and fruits can also be infected. Eventually this could be catastrophic, with massive numbers of hepatitis and fatalities particularly in immune-compromised individuals, like those with the AIDS virus."
"We believe the terrorists behind the attack are Iranian, since there was an encampment of Iranians that stayed in the Al-Buhayrat region for several months. They have since gone from there. Our intelligence there tells us that they believe it is that terrorist group responsible for the attacks here in the States."
"We are working on developing additives that could be mixed with more common pesticides, so that the cost could be lessened, but we're not there yet, and that's why we're here tonight. Also, as you've seen, the plan of attack by the terrorists is to target remote rural areas and those places are not tightly contained. They are spread zones that cover one quarter of the United States. So effective treatment is a hit or miss proposition. Now you've been hit in this area and it is logical to assume that more attacks could happen in the region."
"We are working with border control, the coast guard, and several departments in order to halt delivery of the shipments. No pun intended, but right now we're stumped. Pesticide companies have been notified to develop controls, but gentlemen, we don't want to notify the general public yet. This could mushroom to the entire country, coast to coast. The feedback we're getting is that the victims that have been hit are extremely concerned, as they should be. Mr. Christianson?"
John stood, retrieved the two discs and gave them to Murray. He then said, "Before we take questions, let me say that the reason we are sitting here is, number one, to alert us that we've had an occurrence within our area and there could be more coming, and number two, is because of our collective knowledge of pest control. As you know, that is my background, with a PhD in agronomics from a major university, and as the former CEO of the Agrapest Chemical Company. Frankly, I am only somewhat familiar with the bulldog ant, but the spider mite I have a great deal of knowledge about. To think that both species have been genetically altered blows me away yet I know it is possible. It is something I will immediately check out with the ACC scientists. It will be a challenge unless we can capture each species for examination. And you my friends, looking at Loman, Klein, Jenkins, and a fourth estate owner named McRoy, are well known for your containment and eradication. Now for your questions?"
Murray interrupted. "We've already sent specimens to ACC and to each and every pesticide manufacturer. However, should you collect your own specimens, we'll want some of them for the sake of comparison. We don't as yet know how many different pathogens are involved."
Loman spoke up. "Has the contamination of marketed goods already started?"
Murray answered, "We don't think so, and it is too early to answer that with confidence. As of now we know of no significant outbreaks of illness reported by local authorities or the CDC or FDA."
Jenkins was next. "Let's say an ant attacks a caterpillar and a mite infects it. Assuming the caterpillar survives, wouldn't the caterpillar that then foraged on vegetation introduce the pathogen to the plants it ate?"
Murray and Lampros looked at each other blankly, then Murray said, "Possibly". All four farmers loo
ked at each other, all realizing that there could exist danger points forty ways from the middle. If any living thing that ate an infected thing, whether alive or dead, became a carrier of a transferrable pathogen, then an epidemic would become virtually unstoppable.
"Here's my card and here's one for Lampros. Call us immediately, call John, and call everyone in this room but no one else if you’re attacked. You should be able to spot the mites easily enough, they would forage on your plant life like you gentlemen have encountered before. The ants will be a little harder to spot since their nests are usually inconspicuous once they leave the logs. Be on the lookout especially in the vicinity of nectar sources. Should you capture either the ant or the mite, or both, we want the first few specimens to compare with the ones we already have collected from other areas. John, we know that ACC has already received specimens that we have sent them. We talk with them regularly and they tell us they are making progress. Please call us tomorrow with what information you can update us with."
Murray then added, "Gentlemen, what you've seen and heard is strictly confidential. We are entrusting you with top secret information about this unusual but dangerous terrorist threat. Similar to the carbine story we saw in the other room, consider what you've seen tonight as the first shot, and hopefully this will not result in a national tragedy like that of the Civil War. Now get to work and let us hear from you the moment you have something."
As the men stood to leave, John looked at me at pointed to his noggin. He then asked to speak to Murray away from the others.
"Why wasn't someone from ACC here tonight? They are, according to you, appraised of the situation and working on a solution and the plant is only a few miles from here?
Murray responded by saying, "There's a reason but I'm not at liberty to say. Leave it at that please."
I could tell John was perplexed by that statement.