Third Person Tests Positive for Anthrax in Florida

Josey1

Third Person Tests Positive for Anthrax in FloridaBOCA RATON, Fla. (Reuters) - A third person has tested positive for anthrax in Florida and the probe into the source of the disease is now a criminal investigation, officials said on Wednesday.``We have an additional employee that has been found to have anthrax present,'' said FBI special agent in charge Hector Pesquera.Acting U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis said the investigation was now considered a criminal probe. Pesquera stressed there was no indication the anthrax was produced or caused by a terrorist group or individuals related to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.Investigators have been looking into the source of anthrax that killed one man at the offices of tabloid publishers American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida. A mailroom employee, was also exposed to the disease and on Wednesday officials announced a 35-year-old woman tested positive.Officials stressed the exposure was limited to the AMI building.Experts say the rare disease can be used as a biological warfare agent. But a senior government health official earlier on Wednesday sought to allay any such fears in this case.``If this was a massive exposure, there should be lots of people sick. We are not finding that,'' Dr. Scott Lillibridge, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson's special assistant for bioterrorism, told members of Congress in Washington.But the Florida contamination has fueled fears in a public already on edge over last month's hijack attacks.Many Boca Raton residents have pointed to the fact that some of the suspected hijackers lived in south Florida in recent months and some made inquiries about crop-dusting planes.Federal investigators grounded crop-dusters for a period last month out of concern they could be used in biological or chemical attacks. Such flights have now resumed. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/nm/20011010/ts/attack_anthrax_dc_29.html

competentone

Why is the FBI "stressing" that there is no "indication" of a connection to terrorists in this anthrax incident? We have bin Laden who has been trying to aquire biological agents for atleast the past 7 years; some of the hijackers of Sept. 11 were in that area and are linked to bin Laden; the building has the company's name spelled out in big letters "American Media"--why doesn't the FBI get it?It's simple: The terrorists had the option of growing additional anthrax for a large scale attack, but decided on the WTC attack instead, so to use their existing supplies of anthrax spores as an effective terror tool (instead of letting it "go to waste") they use it against the "American media"--being from third world countries as they were, and believing the propaganda they've been taught, and not having a good grasp of the English language, or American culture/business, they probably thought they were attacking CBS, CNN, NBC, etc. etc.--the AMERICAN MEDIA![This message has been edited by competentone (edited 10-11-2001).]

shane

I bet the FBI gets it, they just don't want to scare the he!! out of everyone. (IF) they ever catch the person that sent it you can bet that they will tell us the "truth" about the matter.

Andrew Adams

It makes perfect sense to not terrify people right now.Especially since there is not one d--n thing you can reasonably do to prevent contracting Anthrax in the event of a disseminated airborne attack.We are not going to vaccinate everyone against it since the vaccine is not overwhelmingly safe. Just ask all of the military folks who balked at having to be vaccinated.We are not going to administer prophylactic flouroquinolones (eg. Cipro) to everyone as that would be bad medicine.We are not going to all walk around twenty-four hours a day with gas masks that protect against a 10 micron particle.Therefore, the only thing we can do is watchfully wait this thing out. Right now, it appears that this was an isolated attack against the tabloids. It could have been perpetrated by Muslim Fundamentalists, a disgruntled employee, or even an angry celebrity.There is no evidence that this was spread out over a large area.Until such time as there is evidence of a widespread attack, no good is served by fear mongering the public into a frenzy over something they have no control of.Most of us are already at least half afraid to travel, why should we also be made half afraid to breathe when there isn't any good reason for doing so yet.Obviously, there are lots of copy cat morons out there who are furthering the unease in this country, but I for one would prefer to not have riots in the streets here. I laugh at the Pakistani's, Afghan's, Iraqi's, and Palestinans who demonstrate in the streets like morons, and do not want panicked idiots in my own country behaving similarly.While I agree that this Anthrax deal is scary, lets not blow things out of proportion, either publicly or in our own minds; at least not without some evidence that there is a continuing threat here.As a final point, whoever did this failed miserably. Out of several hundred employees in the building, only one got sick, and two more show evidence of contamination. If only the hijackers had been as inept as whoever perpetrated this attack seems to have been.

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When you want to dial long distance...AT&T, .223, or Jeremiah 33.3?

Andrew Adams

Competone,Most of the masterminds in the terrorist organizations have obtained the finest education money can buy. You are wrong if you think that Osama bin Laden attacked the American Media Corp. thinking it was CNN. He, and his top operatives, know the difference.

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When you want to dial long distance...AT&T, .223, or Jeremiah 33.3?