Possibility of anthrax home mailings investigated

SUMMARY:

A top federal health official said Tuesday authorities are "intensively investigating" the possibility that private homes are being targeted with anthrax-tainted mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service.

The investigation has taken this turn after suspicions arose that two women had contracted anthrax without apparently coming into contact with mail-handling facilities, said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health.

The latest case involves a woman with inhalation anthrax who is fighting for life at a New York hospital. She worked in a supply room at a different Manhattan hospital.

"Up to [Monday], there was no evidence at all that there could be -- or is -- an individual in which there might be the reasonable question, 'Did they get infected from a piece of mail that went to their home?'" said Fauci. "That is being intensively investigated right now."

In Washington, authorities said bulk mail records are currently unreachable in the anthrax-contaminated Brentwood mail processing center. They urge all commercial companies employees whose employees entered the back rooms to drop off or pick up bulk mail to make sure they seek medical tests for anthrax and obtain antibiotics.

CASE HISTORY:

VIDEO

CNN's Jason Carroll and Michael Okwu report on the latest developments in New York and New Jersey (October 30)

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		• Summary • Case history • Key questions • Bottom line



IN-DEPTH

VIDEO/AUDIO

•	Investigators baffled by 94-year-old woman's death


MORE STORIES

•	Gephardt: Anthrax cleanup 'tougher than expected'

•	Official: CIA uses anthrax, but no link to letters

EXTRA INFORMATION

•	Anthrax symptoms


•	Tracking the bacteria

RESOURCES
•	Advice on suspicious packages

•	Message board

Infections -- 16

Inhalation cases:

Florida -- Robert Stevens, photo editor at American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, died of inhalation anthrax.

Washington -- Two postal workers -- Joseph Curseen Jr. and Thomas Morris Jr. -- died of inhalation anthrax. Both worked at the Brentwood processing center.

Washington -- Two other Brentwood workers, inhalation anthrax.

Washington area -- State Department mailroom employee, inhalation anthrax.

Florida -- Ernesto Blanco, who worked in same building as Robert Stevens, diagnosed with inhalation anthrax; released from hospital on October 24.

New Jersey -- Two Hamilton Township postal workers, inhalation anthrax.

New York -- Hospital supply room worker, inhalation anthrax

Cutaneous (skin) cases:

New York-- NBC News, female assistant to Tom Brokaw; ABC News, infant son of producer; CBS News, female assistant to Dan Rather.

New Jersey -- West Trenton postal worker; Hamilton Township mail processing employee; Hamilton Township resident.

4 "suspected" cases:

3 in New York

  • New York Post employee, "suspected" case of cutaneous anthrax

  • New York Post employee, "suspected" case of cutaneous anthrax

  • BC employee, "suspected" case of cutaneous anthrax

1 in New Jersey

• Hamilton Township mail processing employee, "suspected" case of cutaneous anthrax

KEY QUESTIONS:

Why are thousands of people in New York being offered antibiotics? Click here for more

How have terrorists hurt the U.S. Postal Service? Click here for more

Why are U.S. embassies around the world not receiving their mail? Click here for more

BOTTOM LINE:

Investigators are now checking two anthrax cases in an effort to determine if anthrax was mailed to the victims' homes because both infected women did not work in a mail handling facility. In the nation's capital, authorities urge postal workers and private business bulk mail handlers to obtain a 60-day supply of antibiotics if the back rooms of the facility they worked at or entered has tested positive for anthrax or if those tests are still pending.