Posted on 10/08/2001 5:30:32 AM PDT by Maceman
Officials: Anthrax Shown in Co-Worker
| Monday, October 08, 2001 |
|
|
|
|
|||
BOCA RATON, Fla. — A co-worker of the man who died last week from anthrax also has tested positive for the disease and the building where both worked was closed after the bacterium was detected there.
The latest case, a man whose name was not immediately made public, was in stable condition Monday at an unidentified hospital, according to both the Florida and North Carolina health departments.
A nasal swab from the patient tested positive for the anthrax bacterium, said Tim O'Conner, regional spokesman for Florida's health department. It was not yet clear if anthrax had only infiltrated his nose, spread to his lungs or if he had a full-blown case of the disease.
The man's co-worker, Bob Stevens, died on Friday, the first person in 25 years in the United States to have died from a rare inhaled form of anthrax.
News that Stevens had contracted the disease set off fears of bio-terrorism, especially when it was revealed that Middle Eastern men were believed to have recently visited an airfield about 40 miles from Stevens' home in Lantana and asked questions about crop-dusters.
O'Conner said there is no evidence that either man was a victim of terrorism. ``That would take a turn in the investigation,'' he said. ``It's a different aspect, we were thinking more of environmental sources.''
Stevens, 63, was a photo editor at the supermarket tabloid The Sun. Environmental tests performed at the Sun's offices in Boca Raton detected the anthrax bacteria, said O'Conner.
The Sun's offices have been shuttered and law enforcement, local and state health and CDC officials were to take additional samples from the building on Monday, O'Conner said.
About 300 people who work in the building are being contacted by the Sun and instructed not come to work Monday and undergo antibiotic treatment to prevent the disease.
The FBI was helping in the search for the source of the bacterium, said Miami FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela. But ``the current risk of anthrax is extremely low,'' O'Conner said.
It was unclear when the final tests would tell whether or not the second man has full-blown anthrax. The bacterium normally has an incubation period of up to seven days, but could take up to 60 days to develop, O'Conner said.
``We're waiting for additional testing to see if it will become a confirmed case of anthrax or not,'' said Barbara Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. ``I realize for the public this is going to be a very slight distinction.''
Michael Kahane, vice president and general counsel of American Media Inc., which publishes the Sun and two other tabloids, the Globe and the National Enquirer, confirmed the company closed its Boca Raton building at the request of state health officials.
``We are cooperating with the department of health and all other governmental agencies investigating this matter,'' he said Monday. ``Obviously our first concern is the health and well-being of our employees and their families.''
Only 18 inhalation cases in the United States were documented in the 20th century, the most recent in 1976 in California. State records show the last anthrax case in Florida was in 1974.
Officials believe Stevens contracted anthrax naturally in Florida. The disease can be contracted from farm animals or soil, though the bacterium is not normally found among wildlife or livestock in the state. Stevens was described as an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and gardening.
County medical examiners are looking over any unexplained deaths, but have not found any cases connected to anthrax. Veterinarians have been told to be on alert for animals who might have the disease, but none have turned up.
Health officials are checking intensive care units of area hospitals to check records going back 30 days for suspicious cases. They should be finished Monday, said O'Conner.
|
As I said, it's natural for people to see anthrax boogeymen everywhere today, and I'm inclined to believe that this is something unfortunate but completely unrelated. I'm no medical professional by any means, and I'm not at all qualified to offer an opinion that means anything. And I'm obviously posting hearsay stuff, and probably an incomplete account, too.
I do know that the hospital is taking this very seriously and some of the physicians are in favor of calling a press conference, but the hospital board, wisely I think, wants more information before doing that. There's a fine line between full disclosure and needlessly alarming the public who are already on edge.
Bin Laden seems to be living in this fantasy world of his own definition. Now that he will have to make decisions with people watching, that is to say, with real people opposing him, he will make the kind of decisions one would expect from someone with a poor understanding of the real character of his enemy, shallow and ineffective, seemingly without reason.
That is, assuming any of this is an "attack"
A co-worker of the man who died last week from anthrax also has tested positive for the disease and the building where both worked was closed after the bacterium was detected there.This doesn't jive. How can natuarally occuring anthrax appear in an office building?[...snip...] Officials believe Stevens contracted anthrax naturally in Florida.
I think this is related to the stories we've been hearing about manila envelopes with white powder in them. Even if the government doesn't believe this, I'm not opening any unknown envelopes and I'm emailing everyone I know not to also, just to be safe. Is this finaly a justifcation for mass email campaign?
-Snerdley
"Never start a fight, but by God, ALWAYS FINISH IT!"
-Captain John Sheridan
Earth Space Station Babylon 5
Bingo. It just creates more suspicion even if the incident is indeed "isolated and not connected to the events of September 11th." Notice how a lot of the incidents are being described like that. Sure, they're not a few hi-jacked planes crashing into buildings, but they sure hint of terrorism...
Not an effective disbursement method for military application but reasonably sufficent for a small outbreak....
If the pilots put on masks and were taking antibiotics, they would be safe.....
Not that longevity was a factor in their lives.....
NeverGore
The airport in Belle Glade is about 40 miles away. This airport is where Atta inquired about crop dusters, but never flew to my knowledge.
It is not paranoia to suspect this is involved with the terrorists. a 1 in every 26 year event, which is usually involved with spores from livestock takes place in an office building filled with journalists near the airport where Mohammad Atta, the terrorist ringleader flew from 4 times.
If there was no bombing of the WTC and Pentagon, this story would be alot bigger. The media is downplaying this ironically.
People would be speculating in the media about a deliberate action. They would think a disgruntled person who was wronged by the paper. Because it possibly could be a mideastern based terror attack, the media/government is soft pedaling this big time.
Think about it. If this happened in mid july, at any newspaper office in the country, the media would have been all over this.
If people in general believe that the government is intentionally keeping information from them that could potentially be livesaving to their family to protect the economy, there will be hell will pay.....
I'd fight and die for my country but protecting my wife and kid's is first on my list....
The first sign of biologicals in the Atlanta area and my family will be moved to our second house in a remote isolated area of the North Carolina mountains.....
NeverGore
For what it's worth, the local Florida papers have been describing him as "semi-retired," and as a "photo editor" and "re-toucher." If you can believe these descriptions (which seem to jive with his time-consuming gardening and neighborhood involvement), the only work he performed for the Sun, at least lately, was in their WPB office.
That is a possibility. I have neighbors who refuse to go into the city or shopping malls for fear of bombs and/or bio-terrorism. They know that it is irrational. On the plus side, their savings account is getting fuller. They are also more likely to buy necessary stuff and not useless decorative junk made in China. They are blissfully unaware of the kinds of news gathering FReepers are exposed to. They get what they need from the newspaper (NYT-owned) and CNN, yet they're still cautious and would definitely freak if I showed them these articles, postings and links.
Her take on this is to check the pathologists at the hospital - they will be the first to know.
Hantavirus is endemic in the Southwest among rodents,though I don't think it has ever shown up as far East as Houston. There was an outbreak on an Indian Reservation in Arizona or New Mexico about ten years ago.
While the symptoms may look similar to Anthrax at first, it is a virus and will look nothing like Anthrax when cultured.
So9
A nasal swab from the patient tested positive for the anthrax bacterium, said Tim O'Conner, regional spokesman for Florida's health department.
It was not yet clear if anthrax had only infiltrated his nose or had gotten into his lungs, officials said. Relatively large anthrax spores that lodge in the upper respiratory tract are less dangerous than smaller spores that get into the lungs.
Doctors "describe his condition as good right now," O'Conner said. "He hasn't been diagnosed with the disease, there's just a presence of (the disease) in his nostrils."
"He was given a nasal swab because he happened to be in a hospital and he was ill," said Barbara Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
O'Conner and Reynolds said they did not know what symptoms of illness the man displayed or whether any of the symptoms were consistent with anthrax. The disease in early stages may resemble the flu.
Good thing this guy was sick with an unrelated illness right? The media is soft pedaling this big time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.