First two tests are positive, 90-year old woman in serious condition. Nobody knows how she contracted it.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Answers

FOX

Connecticut Woman Tests Positive for Inhalation Anthrax

HARTFORD, Conn. — An elderly Connecticut woman was hospitalized and in critical condition Tuesday after testing positive for inhalation anthrax.

The woman, who is more than 90 years old, tested positive for the deadly inhalation form of the disease in five separate tests conducted by the Department of Public Health and Griffin Hospital in Derby, Gov. John Rowland said.

State health Commissioner Joxel Garcia said the state received positive test results from the hospital Monday and immediately began conducting their own investigation.

The tests conducted by the health department involved taking cultures from the woman and are more sophisticated than those conducted by the hospital, but not as accurate as testing by the Centers for Disease Control, Garcia said.

"I myself am praying for it to be wrong," he said. "I love my lab, but I would love that they were wrong."

The CDC hopes to have initial testing on specimens from the patient completed Wednesday, said spokesman Tom Skinner. A team of CDC investigators was poised to head for Connecticut Tuesday night, Skinner said.

"Testing by the CDC could prove negative," Rowland said.

"It's difficult to explain how the person contracted anthrax," he said. "There is no evidence they contracted the disease as a result of a criminal act."

"I continue to say that Connecticut has never been attacked or had the threat of attack from any terrorist," Rowland said. "We still can't determine it’s a terrorist attack. It could be an accident."

Rowland called the case "an anomaly," and twice said he was shocked by the test results, but cautioned that people should not be alarmed.

"We are where we are, and when the CDC gets back to us tomorrow, you people will be the first to know," Rowland said.

Derby Mayor Marc Garofalo said he learned of the case Tuesday evening. He said the city immediately deployed its emergency response team to the hospital.

"We want to assure the public that the city and all its resources are standing by," he said. "I think the key thing is for the public to remain calm. We are standing by with our crisis management team to answer any questions people may have."

The woman was originally treated for pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital Friday, Rowland said.

The FBI and the state police have secured the woman's home and are conducting a criminal investigation.

Rowland said the woman has a limited routine and lives by herself near Oxford, a small community in the southwestern area of the state.

Nationwide, four people have died and 13 have been sickened by anthrax since early October.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Grandmother of the "loner" that Carl postulated about?

Former school teacher visited by the "loner"?

Just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Keep an eye on this story.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

My guess would be she got it through the mail, somehow.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

At 90, probably mother, or teacher, or other relative. Dumbass could have gone to visit and had spores on his clothes. I'm sure whoever it is has thoroughly innoculated themselves, and probably taking boosters of antibiotics to be safe.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

breaking on abcnews.go.com, that the 94 y/o woman has died.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Ohhhhh. I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm glad that wasn't covered up.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Aw shit! One of the kids had to be sent home from school last week without a fever because she believed she had anthrax. And I told her she absolutely could not get it, and not to worry.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Helen, I think that Carl's theory is correct, and in time it will be shown that two of the victims had some sort of personal contact with the "Dumbass" as Carl refers to him.

I will change this opinion if the cases start spreading across the country and dropping people at random, but so far, they are isolated cases with links to letters, except for the two victims.

I know what you mean about this scare affecting some of the children! I had to reassure a friend's kids that they were not going to get anthrax from going to the skating rink. For all I know, some idiot might decide that tonight is a good night to drop powder all over the skaters.

But it is unlikely.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

11:30 PM ET - MSNBC is reporting that the athrax is indistinguishable from the previous cases.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001