CDC says New Jersey postal worker has inhalation anthrax -- breaking on CNN right now.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

Answers

Also on Tuesday, New Jersey health officials said that a female postal worker has been hospitalized with a suspected case of inhalation anthrax. Authorities advised all employees at the facility to see their physicians immediately and begin taking antibiotics.

www.cnn.com

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

According to a report here, penicillin is also effective in treating anthrax. For those so inclined, 100 x 250mg penicillin tabs (veterinarian type) are available at drsfostersmith.com and a hotlink is provided at the link above.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

Forgot to give price--$8.99. If you're allergic to penicillin, there's anotehr antibiotic mentioned in the report (tetracycline maybe) which is available at the same place.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

I wonder when management in that facility will alert the employees currently on duty.

probably won't make an official announcement.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

jst saw a blurb on CNN saying that the two dead postal workers were confirmed as anthrax cases.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/23/anthrax_new_jersey.htm

Health officials say N.J. postal worker likely has inhalation anthrax

By Lori Hinnant, Associated Press, 10/23/01

EWING, N.J. -- A female postal worker stationed at the Hamilton post office where anthrax-tainted letters were sent to Washington and New York is suspected to have inhalation anthrax, state health officials said Tuesday.

The worker, who didn't want her name released, began to feel ill last week. She is hospitalized and receiving antibiotics, state Health Commissioner George DiFerdinando said.

She is in "serious but stable condition," said Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, the state epidemiologist. "She's holding her own but her condition has improved."

Tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were returned to state officials Monday indicated the woman was likely infected, he said.

All postal workers are being urged to see physicians. Those that work at the Hamilton facility, the main Trenton post office that is fed by 46 smaller offices, are being told to begin 10-day antibiotic treatments immediately; they had previously been told to begin 7-day treatments.

Doctors and hospitals throughout the state have been alerted to look for possible cases of anthrax. State health officials are also telling medical examiners to investigate any suspicious deaths during the past six weeks for evidence of anthrax.

The mail carrier is the third postal worker in New Jersey to have tested positive for anthrax but the first to have the more dangerous inhalation form. Two others, a maintenance worker at the Hamilton office and a mail carrier from the West Trenton office, have skin anthrax and have been treated with antibiotics.

A fourth worker from the Hamilton office likely had the skin disease but sophisticated tests to confirm anthrax could not be done because he had already been treated with antibiotics.

The Hamilton office processed at least three anthrax-laced letters addressed to NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and the New York Post.

Thirteen of 23 environmental samples taken from the mail processing areas of the Hamilton building tested positive for samples of anthrax spores. None of the samples taken from the building's public areas were contaminated.

Preliminary results on samples taken from the West Trenton post office in Ewing came back negative for anthrax.

Health officials said Tuesday results from all tests would be available later in the day.

The Hamilton post office has been closed since Thursday and will likely remain that way for the rest of the week, postal officials said.

Several hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail are being held there and about 500 postal employees have been tested for anthrax.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001