Dallas public health expert found dead at desk

[tanyev]

From WFAA/Dallas Morning News


http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/062504dnmettulu.294884841.html


Dr. Assefa Tulu, chief epidemiologist for Dallas County, was found dead Thursday afternoon at his desk.

The doctor was found about 5 p.m. by a colleague at the county Department of Health and Human Services offices, said Sgt. Don Peritz, a spokesman for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. There were no indications of foul play, he said.

Dr. Tulu, 45, was last seen by a co-worker around noon Thursday, sitting at his desk and talking on the telephone. He missed a staff meeting at 1:30 p.m. and was not seen all afternoon, said Zachary Thompson, director of the department

--snip--

Bioterrorism work

Dr. Tulu joined the health department in 1997 and served for five years as the county's lone epidemiologist. He was charged with tracking the health of the county, including the spread of diseases, such as syphilis, AIDS and measles. He also designed a system for detecting a bioterrorism attack involving viruses or bacterial agents.


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Somebody help me out here. Is this another name to add to the list of mysterious deaths? What caught my eye on the local news was that he was tall, slim--not an obvious heart attack candidate--and that several of his co-workers mentioned how brilliant he was, a genius. Hmmm. Going to get my tin-foil hat...

[WI_DEM]

1. unfortunately tall, thin people can have heart attacks too

[napi21]

3. True, and so do doctors.

My husband's "heart doctor" died suddenly during the night of a heart attack. He was slim, and only 45 too.

[Corgigal]

2. I hope

Joe Scarsborough wasn't anywhere near Dallas.

[lefty_mcduff]

4. There's been a rash of disease expert deaths since 9/11

You can add this one to this list

http://www.stormtronic.co.uk/9-11/scientists.htm

and here

http://www.missouri.edu/~quinnl/news/bodies.html

[sweetladybug]

5. Let's see now how many scientist/Drs involved in bioterrorism

has died of natural causes, have been in accidents and died or have been murdered since Bush took office? Sure makes a person wonder just what in the hell is going on in our country.
ELECT KERRY 2004!!!!

[olddem43]

6. When good, healthy people die and -

Dick Cheney doesn't, it proves there ain't a god.

[Tight_rope]

12. I second that!

[donsu]

7. guess he knew too much - add him to the bush body count

www.bk2k.com/bushbodycount/index.shtml

[SoCalDem]

8. Where was Joe Scarborough??

:evilgrin:

[Malikshah]

11. I saw the thread topic and immediately checked the thread

For this name. ;)

[SoCalDem]

13. Yup.. I read "desk" & "dead", and ole Joey popped into MY head too

:)

[amazona]

9. it's a myth that being slim and healthy protects you

I used to believe the same. Being slim is no protection if you breathe polluted air. I know slim people with no family history of this disease being hard hit now by heart disease in the Smoky Mountain area. And I believe (could be mistaken) that the air in some areas of Texas is even worse. If you are slim because you exercise outdoors, you're going to be at high risk for heart disease in many areas. Don't know about Dallas, but you're surely signing your own death warrant if you jog or bike outdoors in Houston, for example.

So add it to the list of mysterious deaths but the killer could be good old-fashioned air pollution, who knows. I'll reserve judgment until I can find out more.

[Tight_rope]

14. The air is worse in Texas...especially in Houston...thanks to DeLay &

Enron, and let's not forget Bush. All of them played and keep playing a great part in polution.

[PaDUer]

10. Another one...how many does this make now! n/t

[tanyev]

15. Update

The noon news broadcast said that autopsy results show that Dr. Tulu appeared to have had a stroke. (Can they get autopsy results that fast?) And, to be fair, it did happen in the middle of the workday, nothing in the report about mysterious visitors to his office, etc. So I guess there really is nothing to see. Just very sad.

And thanks a lot to the Bush administration for making me so paranoid that I now get spooked by every odd news story that comes along. Hmph!