FBI turns to public in anthrax investigation


FBI Director Robert Mueller

SUMMARY:

FBI Director Robert Mueller called on the public Friday "to join us in tracking down those responsible for using anthrax to murder Americans."

"We ask you, throughout the country, to report any suspicious behavior that involves any United States mails or individuals knowledgeable about anthrax," Mueller said.

A health official investigating anthrax contamination at the American Media Inc. headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, said Friday that investigators are looking into the possibility that the publishing company may have received more than one letter tainted with the bacteria.

A spokesman for the Palm Beach County Health department said the discovery of a single anthrax spore at a sixth Palm Beach post office Wednesday suggests more than one letter carrying anthrax was sent to AMI.

An aide to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told CNN on Friday that a 17th case of anthrax has been confirmed. The case of skin anthrax had previously been listed as suspected.

Pakistan's science minister said Friday that tests have confirmed that two people at separate locations have been exposed to anthrax, and at least one of four suspect letters received at three locations in the country contained anthrax.

CASE HISTORY:

VIDEO

A New York woman with no known connections to recent anthrax incidents dies of the disease. CNN's Gary Tuchman reports (October 31)

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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 -- 17

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 mail processing center.

New York -- Kathy Nguyen, hospital supply room worker, died of inhalation anthrax.

Washington -- Two other Brentwood workers, also 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.

Cutaneous (skin) cases:

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

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

Suspected cases -- 4

2 in New York

• New York Post employee, suspected case of cutaneous anthrax

• ABC employee, suspected case of cutaneous anthrax

2 in New Jersey

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

• Camden County postal worker, suspected case of cutaneous anthrax

KEY QUESTIONS:

What other biological and chemical weapons could terrorists use? Click here for more

How families of the four people killed by anthrax could get financial help? Click here for more

Besides the United States, where else is anthrax showing up? Click here for more

BOTTOM LINE:

As another anthrax case is confirmed, authorities still have no idea where to look for the source of the bacteria. Spores have been found in the workplace mail bin for a New Jersey bookkeeper who has skin anthrax. The bacteria spores are also showing up overseas: on letters sent to several locations in Pakistan and on at least one mailbag at the U.S. embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania.