5th Case Of Anthrax Reported in Nevada

[Guest guest]

CNN: Anthrax Sent To Nevada, Tom Brokaw

Brokaw Assistant Contracts Anthrax Through Skin

Posted: 11:23 a.m. EDT October 12, 2001

Updated: 7:47 p.m. EDT October 12, 2001

WASHINGTON -- CNN has just reported that a suspicious letter sent to Carson

City, Nevada has tested positive in preliminary tests for anthrax.

The FBI is already involved in the case. More tests are required to confirm that

the envelope contained anthrax.

The letter was sent to an unidentified company, reported CNN, and " just didn't

look right, " according to one employee.

Brokaw Assistant Infected With Anthrax

The suspicious letter that authorities think may have infected an NBC News

employee with anthrax was apparently meant for Tom Brokaw.

ANTHRAX BACTERIA

Basic Info

Anthrax FAQs

Humans Vs. Animals

Anthrax Vs. Flu

Florida Case Part Of Terror Plot?

Afraid To Open Mail?

Discuss: Afraid Of Anthrax?

VACCINE

Cipro Info

Michigan's Anthrax Vaccine Manufacturer Texas Scientists Developing

Vaccine

BIO THREAT

Suspicious Mail

JAMA: Biological Weapon Info

Preparing A Disaster Kit

Preparing For Biochemical Attack

Facts About Anthrax, Smallpox

Are You Afraid?

RESOURCES

U.S. Military Anthrax Site

Frequently Asked Questions

a.. Florida Dept. of Health:

A network source said the letter was addressed to Brokaw himself, and the

anchorman was tested for the bacteria and cleared.

The network confirmed a 38-year-old employee with Brokaw's " Nightly News "

program was infected with the skin form of the disease after receiving mail

containing a suspicious powder.

The envelope was sent to her boss two weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist

attacks.

The unidentified NBC employee, who's being treated with antibiotics, is expected

to recover.

Also, some employees at the New York Times were evacuated earlier today after a

letter, containing a " powdery white substance, " was found.

According to a newspaper spokeswoman, reporter Judith had received a

suspicious envelope that smelled like talcum powder. , who used to cover

the Middle East, is co-author of a book about bioterrorism.

The letter to NBC and the letter to The Times were both postmarked from St.

sburg, Florida.

After the envelope arrived, employees were moved out of the third-floor newsroom

to other parts of the building in midtown Manhattan while authorities conducted

tests.

The substance is also being tested by health authorities.

CBS has closed its mail room, and ABC announced a similar move. CNN is also

taking extra precautions in its mail room, the station reported.

The head of the FBI's New York office saw " no connection whatsoever " between the

NBC case and last month's terrorist attacks. FBI agents also know of " no link

whatsoever " between the anthrax found in Florida and in New York, said

Pesquera, FBI special agent in charge of the Miami office.

Nonetheless, the FBI launched a criminal investigation, and Attorney General

Ashcroft said the letter " may have transmitted " the anthrax.

" The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a separate criminal

investigation to find out the source of the anthrax in the New York City case, "

Ashcroft said. " At this time, the source of the anthrax is being investigated

and has not yet been determined. We are investigating a piece of mail from Sept.

25. "

The focus of the investigation, a suspicious envelope that arrived at NBC two

and a half weeks ago containing a white powdery substance, was tested and proved

negative for anthrax, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said. But since then, he

said, a skin test on the woman tested positive for anthrax.

The NBC employee tested positive for cutaneous anthrax, which is much less

deadly than the inhaled type to which three Florida residents were exposed. Read

about cutaneous anthrax.

" People should not overreact to this, " New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said.

" People who have been in contact with (this woman) will not be at risk. "

" She has been treated with Cipro from way back on Oct. 1, " Guiliani said. " She

appears to be recovering completely. "

said that, despite speculation, " Anthrax is not contagious from one

person to another. "

" I know people will be concerned about this. But this is in very good hands. NBC

has been on top of this since the very beginning and has worked together with

(authorities on this), " Giuliani said.

The third floor at 30 Rockefeller Plaza was sealed off for testing, CNN

reported. Giuliani said that the CDC will test areas of the building for anthrax

spores.

" Affected individuals, employees from the area, will be tested and will be given

antibiotics, " Ashcroft said.

NBC President Andy Lack told reporters that the woman is " in good health " and

that she's getting all the treatment she needs.

" We have no reason to believe that this particular incident has spread beyond

this individual employee, " said a memo by Lack and NBC executive ,

MSNBC reported.

NBC struggled to put together their nightly news program.

The executive producer, Steve Capus, said, " We're doing the best we can. " But he

said, " It's impossible to have business as usual. "

He spoke after being tested for anthrax.

Other NBC bureaus around the world were called on to prepare extra stories

because of the disruptions to the New York staff.

Brokaw was unable to use his regular studio this evening.

Florida Anthrax Confined To Mailroom, Keyboard

The FBI announced that the anthrax strain that killed an editor of a Florida

tabloid newspaper was confined to that company's mailroom and to a computer

keyboard.

" I want everybody in the country to know we're responding rapidly, " President

Bush said. " Our nation is still in danger, but the government is doing

everything in our power to protect our citizenry. " But health officials have

begun testing employees at three Boca Raton-area post offices who may have

handled mail for the tabloid.

Health officials tested nearly 1,000 employees of the tabloid and only one was

positive. That was a mailroom employee.

She was the third worker from the supermarket tabloid found to have come in

contact with anthrax. The woman says she's feeling fine, and she's back at work.

A photo editor died a week ago. Another mailroom worker remains hospitalized for

an unrelated medical condition.

The three people in Florida who were exposed to the bacterium also worked for a

media outlet -- American Media Inc., based in Boca Raton.

" We see no connection whatsoever to Sept. 11, " said Barry Mawn, head of the FBI

office in New York. " The way we will handle this is as a separate criminal

matter and will proceed from there. "

A senior state department official told CNN that a defense department team on a

routine research of Kazakhstan found evidence of anthrax. The team is being

treated now, CNN reported.

also advised people to be on the lookout for symptoms.

" If you have any information out there and you've got a small lesion that's dark

in color that's itchy, make sure you contact your doctor, " said.

" As the president says, 'We need to live our lives. Be more aware, but go about

our business,' " said.

Ashcroft Issues Mail Warning

Be careful with what's in your mailbox.

Attorney General Ashcroft told citizens to be cautious when opening

suspicious items they receive in the mail.

The warning came following the latest anthrax scare.

Ashcroft said a letter " may have transmitted the disease. "

Ashcroft said people who receive mail they're suspicious of should not open it,

or shake it. He said they should leave the area where they find the mail and

call authorities.

Read about how to deal with suspicious packages.

" Presently, up until this time, we have not ever seen any real incident ...

wherefore actual biological hazards have been transported through United States

mails, " said Ken Newman, deputy chief postal inspector for the U.S. Postal

Service.

He said the post office is ready to respond to any suspicious mail items.

Postmaster General Potter said the Postal Service is working with federal

agencies to get things back to a point where " people have trust in the mail. "

Potter said he's concerned that the attention paid to the threat will lead to

some hoaxes.

Officials: Anthrax Is Not Contagious

Federal officials said it's vitally important for people to know that anthrax is

not contagious.

Anthrax bacteria live in the blood of animals. The bacteria form spores when the

animal dies. The spores are then released.

Skin anthrax and inhaled anthrax are caused by the same germ -- it just depends

on how the germ gets into the body.

Inhalation anthrax is the far more serious kind. That's the form that killed a

Florida man last week.

About 95 percent of all cases of anthrax worldwide result from skin contact with

infected animals or tissue. It often begins with a bump on the hands, arms, or

head that eventually turns into a sore. More severe symptoms may follow,

including fever, swelling, and a headache.

The infection can be cured with a variety of antibiotics, including penicillin

and cipro.

But when it's left untreated, about 20 percent of patients die.

The only vaccine to prevent anthrax is in limited supply -- and only available

to the military.

Read these anthrax FAQs for more information.

No Apparent Danger At State Department

The anthrax scares today have extended to the State Department in Washington --

although the fears there may be groundless.

Tests are under way on what is described as a " suspicious " white substance found

in a seventh-floor office. But officials said it appears to pose no hazard.

Employees of the building were notified by loudspeaker, but the building wasn't

evacuated.

The FBI and the Washington, D.C., fire department were called to the scene.