Anthrax strategy assailed on Hill

[Guest guest]

http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/terrorism/anthrax/1024cdc.html

Anthrax strategy assailed on Hill

By LARRY LIPMAN and JEFF NESMITH

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writers

Washington -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came under

sharp criticism Tuesday from lawmakers who questioned the agency's handling

of a growing national anthrax threat.

Rick McKay / AJC

CDC chief Koplan defended his agency's efforts.

Particularly troublesome to members of Congress were anthrax attacks that

resulted in the deaths of two postal workers who may have come in contact

with mail destined for the U.S. Capitol.

But the CDC's director, Dr. Koplan, defended his agency's handling

of the anthrax outbreak and said any mistakes stemmed from a lack of

adequate knowledge about the rare disease.

At a congressional hearing Tuesday, questions were also raised about whether

the FBI was sharing information it has developed in response to anthrax

outbreaks in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., with other

law enforcement and public health agencies in a timely fashion.

Koplan and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Caruso said their agencies

have been working closely and cooperatively in sharing information.

Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, said he was particularly concerned that

workers at the Brentwood Road mail processing center -- which handles mail

headed for the Capitol -- were not tested and treated quickly enough after

anthrax was discovered at a Trenton, N.J., postal facility and the office of

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

" We have officials in Trenton, New Jersey, at the postal facility, who come

down with the skin form of anthrax. In between it goes through Brentwood,

and yet the people at Brentwood said, 'Don't worry about it,' " said Harkin,

who is chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on labor, health

and human services and education. " I have deep concerns . . . about the

actions of the CDC recently involving the events surrounding the deaths of

the two postal workers. "

Harkin read from a news article that quoted CDC spokesman Tom Skinner as

saying, " We're dealing with something that up until two or three weeks ago

we had not dealt with before. " The senator said he expected more from the

agency.

" That's what CDC is for. Of course there are things we haven't been up

against before, but we'd hope that CDC would have some kind of a plan that

they could have used to trace back . . . and make sure that everything was

covered, " Harkin said.

Noting that hundreds of congressional staffers were tested and treated after

the anthrax-laced letter was found in Daschle's office, Harkin said: " Maybe

I'm wrong, but it just seems to me that something broke down here . . .

Whatever happened at Brentwood, we just can't afford to have it happen

anywhere else. We count on CDC. You're our line of defense at CDC. "

Koplan responded that the CDC has launched an around-the-clock effort that

involves 200 people in field investigations across the country working with

state and local public health agencies.

" But the system is stressed through years of neglect and under-investment, "

Koplan said. " Labs are inundated with specimens. Epidemiological and

investigative staff, where present, are being run ragged. Communications

capabilities are strained, and cash-strapped states and localities are

facing extraordinary unbudgeted costs. "

Despite the workload, the CDC director said, the public health system " has

performed admirably. "

Tracing the history of the recent anthrax outbreak -- which surfaced when

s, a photo editor for the supermarket tabloid The Sun in

Florida, was diagnosed with the rare disease less than three weeks ago --

Koplan said that until the most recent deaths, of the two postal workers,

all of the cases had involved mail that was opened.

For that reason, he said, postal workers who handled -- but did not open --

mail were not thought to be at risk for the deadly inhalation form of

anthrax.

Koplan said congressional staffers did not receive preferential treatment

over postal workers.

" I can say absolutely that we used the same standards, we used the same

approach, and we tried to be as diligent and as quick and as thorough no

matter where and to whom these cases appear or where the threat is, " Koplan

said.

" We work in pubic health. There is no favoritism. In fact it's quite the

reverse. We are most interested in folks who are less famous, less well-off

and less visible throughout the field of public health. "