The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to interview people in Florida, New York, Washington and New Jersey to assess the use of anthrax antibiotics, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 29). 

Over the next eight weeks, health officials will telephone and survey about 10,000 people in the four states, said CDC spokesman Llelwyn Grant.  The CDC will follow up on them for two years, he said.  Throughout the country, 32,000 people were given anthrax antibiotics after possible exposure. 

“The objective is to assess the use of the drugs, as well as the educational materials that were provided to see whether people understood the need to take their prophylaxis, and whether they did adhere to the instructions,” Grant said.

The survey will examine how many people stayed on the antibiotics for the full 60-day regimen, any adverse side effects they might have suffered, whether they had difficulty in obtaining the antibiotics and whether they understood the information that was provided, according to the Sun-Sentinel.  The survey results will be used to improve the CDC’s capability to provide assistance and drugs in the event of another biological attack, Grant said (Nancy McVicar, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Jan. 29).

Calling All Microbiologists

In the “Amerithrax” investigation into who is responsible for the recent anthrax attacks, the FBI is planning to solicit leads with an e-mail to more than 40,000 microbiologists, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

The e-mail, which is similar to flyers sent to residents of central New Jersey, describes personality traits taken from the FBI profile as to who might be responsible for the attack and asks for all relevant information, “no matter how insignificant it may seem,” the Journal reported (see GSN, Jan. 24).

“The perpetrator might be described as ‘stand-offish’ and likely prefers to work in isolation as opposed to a group/team setting,” the FBI e-mail says.  “It is possible that this person used off-hours in a laboratory or may have even established an improvised or concealed facility … to produce the anthrax.”

The American Society for Microbiology gave the FBI its membership list, prompting “irate messages from members that we would do that,” said AMS President Abigail Salyers.

Former FBI investigators said that continuing to ask for tips indicates the investigators still do not have a prime suspect, the Journal reported (Mark Schoofs, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 29).

Can Your Sanitized Mail Still Make You Sick?

Meanwhile, officials have begun an investigation into reports that irradiated mail has made recipients sick, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, Jan. 4).

Some congressional and postal workers who have handled irradiated mail have complained of nausea, rashes, headaches and a strange metallic taste, according to the Post.  In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called for an increased monitoring of irradiated mail, citing health complaints from several of her staff.

Studies on the safety of irradiated mail are underway and the U.S. Postal Service is expected to hold a press conference today to explain the irradiation process and to reassure recipients, the Post reported.

“We are obviously concerned about reports of postal workers and government employees who deal with the mail not feeling well,” said Mark Corallo, spokesman for the House Government Reform Committee, which oversees the Postal Service.  “But we do understand that the Postal Service is dealing with something that none of us have ever had to deal with before, and they have been forced to do something very quickly that will ensure that the mail is not carrying anthrax or any other deadly chemicals” (Steve Twomey, Washington Post, Jan. 30).

Irradiated mail to the federal government is going through the same process used to sterilize medical equipment before being sent to hospitals, said Wil Williams, a spokesman for Titan Scan Technologies in Lima, Ohio.  Titan is one of two firms contracted by the Postal Service to irradiate mail.

“When medical people open up cartons of supplies that have been irradiated, they don’t get sick,” Williams said.  “After a decade of using this process worldwide, all of a sudden somebody [in Washington] is saying there are health consequences.”

Any strange smells coming for irradiated mail is likely from the biohazard packaging used by the Postal Service when it transport the mail to Titan, Williams said. 

“It just doesn’t make sense,” he added.  “Either they’re getting sick from something else or it’s mass hysteria” (Guy Taylor, Washington Times, Jan. 30).

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