It is 184BC and you are a soldier on a Pergamene Ship headed to Carthage to confront the opposing forces of that mega barbarion superstar known as Hannibal.  As you near your destination and prepare to put all the years of your razor sharp warfare training and barbarian bashing expertise to the test, your only thoughts are focused in on how you are going to show this tyrant what a real warrior is all about.  Suddenly, and most certainly without warning, off in the corner of your eye something blocks out the sun for just a brief tic, then in seconds there is a large CRASH, you and your crew are distracted only for a moment has a large object shatters on the deck of your ship. Your crewmates stop and stare in stunned silence. Your first reaction is to grab some water or a blanket fearing the enemy has attacked your vessel with a pot of burning coal or oil. Instead of flames and smoke spreading on the deck of the ship, you are shocked to discover that lying among shards of broken clay fragments are hundreds of poisonous snakes of various varieties swarming all over the deck, sliding under the feet of those chained to the oars, wrapping themselves around post, and disrupting the afternoon tea. These vermin are angry and not feeling very loved, and why should they after being packed in a cramped pot like moldy roman grain and tossed through the air like the heads of slaves at a gladiator free for all, these snakes have a serious attitude problem. Fast and vicious, within seconds they have already bitten more then half the crew, the remaining stoic warriors have decided, purely out of shear panic, to take their chances in the shark infested ocean waters and have bravely taken it upon themselves to jump overboard. However; before you can join in this decision to run away, you find yourself surrounded by a swarm of fanged attitude and you do the only thing you know to do besides scream like a banshee, you start beating these misplaced reptilians with your trusty blanket, three of them have already gotten a few bites in on your sandal-clad ankles, others are squirming closer. Then as confusion and frustration starts to slowly give way to that not so good sinking feeling swimming around in your head as venom courses through your veins and nausea and pain start to register shades of Elysian Fields; you begin to realize why you hate snakes. Let there be no doubt about it, Biowarfare is a nasty business and not for the mortally challenged.

With the passage of time comes change, instead of clay pots, biowarfare can come in the form of a dirty bomb, a discarded package, a letter sent by Mel the mailman, the happy fellow you have known since high school or placed in a clay pot sitting unnoticed in a busy public park. Some things never change. Although most modern bioterrorist find bravery in not being seen, it is safe to say they too are afraid of snakes and you won’t find them out in the fields trying to prove to Allah that they can lift up serpents, not even for a room full of vestal vogue virgins. Though proven to be a formidable weapon, snakes have now slithered aside and have been replaced by prayer books and lab coats. Clay shards now look like powders or toxic gasses and instead of a few hundred crewmembers on a long wooden war vessel; the victims can number in the tens of thousands. Let there be not doubt about it, these are not the good times.

Now lets take a look at that blanket and the improvements that can only come with the blessings of time. Back in the day, the blanket would have held back a few of the vermin, but even the craftiest mite ridden tarp swinger would have found himself at a great disadvantage. Now days the 3-foot by 4-foot flinging snake swapper as been replaced by a simple 2-inch by 3-inch plastic hand held device and an easy to use plastic buffer bottle that can test suspicious bio threat residuals with given results in less then ten minutes. With that type of knowledge in hand, first responders will be able to make valued decisions that can save the lives of millions, making it better then a blanket and easier to carry.

 Though not designed to ward off a pot full and angry vipers, AdVnt Biotechnologies newly extended line of Bio Warfare detection devices are both time and field tested to support bio threat first responders with rapid need to know information that many of us rather not know. Weather the threat be for Anthrax, Ricin, SEB, Botulinum, Plaque or Tularemia, AdVnt’s BADD single test are the tools to have when confronted with a real-time biowarfare situation. And with the addition of the new Tularemia test device, the blanket of threat detection as spread even wider.

Bioterrorism can come at us in ways we can’t imagine. From that pesky geo-political terrorist to the silent enemies hiding within our own home, the threat of global biowarfare has become an ongoing ever-changing organism. In the wake of the nations crippling healthcare crisis, the need to be concerned for ones health is now more then ever more important for individuals to do all that they can to ensure their own personal well being as well as that of their own families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as reported that the presence of black mold in a home can cause a multitude of health related illness beginning with but not limited to respiratory illnesses, memory loss, chronic fatigue, dizziness, the list goes on. Those who have Asthma, HIV, or have challenged immune systems are at an even greater risk. Add to this the understanding that Mold can be undetected in your home, hiding in vents; behind walls and under floorboards, the infestation becomes even more life threatening. Soon AdVnt Biotechnologies will bring its bioterrorism expertise closer to the home front with its new ‘Informant’ in home mold detection system. Informant is a personal, easy to use mold detection kit that will allow the concerned homeowner a way to reliably and safely test for the presence of black mold in their living environment. Expected for release in mid to late May, Informant could be the first line of defense against the ever-increasing cost of healthcare.