ANTHRAX ON THE HIGH SEAS

It seems an Egyptian sailor has died in Brazil after exposure to anthrax. It was apparently in his luggage, which he made the fatal mistake of opening:

BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - A crew member of an Egyptian merchant ship has died in northern Brazil, almost certainly from anthrax, after opening a suitcase suspected of containing the substance which he was taking to Canada.

A spokesman for Brazilian (news - web sites) federal police in the Amazon state of Para said on Monday an autopsy of the Egyptian man, whom he named as Ibrahim Saved Soliman Ibrahim, showed that he had died after vomiting, internal bleeding and multiple organ failure.

"He was the victim of anthrax," said Castro, adding that police were 90 percent certain that Ibrahim had died of anthrax.

Ibrahim died in the hotel were he was staying on April 11. Several health workers who found his body were taken to a hospital after becoming ill but are now out of danger.

Ibrahim had traveled to Brazil from Cairo to join his ship, the Wabi Alaras, which loaded bauxite in the Amazon to take to Canada.

"We imagine that this is about bioterrorism and Brazil was just used as a point of transfer," said Castro.

Interesting. I'm sure the appropriate folks are checking the manifest on his ship, looking for ports of call, listed owners of cargo, those sorts of things. And I'm sure the FBI will pin it on Steven Hatfill anyway.

(via The 12th Man)