Two DC Postal Workers May have died of Anthrax

October 22, 2001 10:46 AM

Two DC Postal Workers May have died of Anthrax Whatever hit the Brentwood Post Office was particularly virulent.
posted by Lanternjmk (8 comments total)

I heard about this last night from my father, who will be working on the threat assessment team assigned to D.C. He mentioned that they weren't aware that they were infected with anthrax until it was too late, and treating the illness as a common flu.

They've taken steps to vaccinate everyone that worked in that building.
posted by samsara at 10:50 AM on October 22, 2001

Here's a real link.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 10:59 AM on October 22, 2001

This is nuts. Just nuts.
posted by flip at 11:15 AM on October 22, 2001

This flu season will be mighty ugly. Might I suggest a vaccine?
posted by stchang at 11:21 AM on October 22, 2001

Are they actually vaccinating the workers or are they treating them with "precautionary antibiotics" as the article states? There's been so much confusion lately about the difference between antibiotics vs. vaccinations, infections vs. exposures.
posted by barkingmoose at 11:23 AM on October 22, 2001

I guess this puts to rest this stupid thread, especially item 4 questioning whether or not the anthrax was "weapons-grade."

One of the more interesting theories is that Iraq, not the Talliban or bin Lauden, are behind the bioterror.
posted by darren at 11:36 AM on October 22, 2001

barkingmoose, I think they will administer full treatment if they test positive on the nasal swab. Roughly 2,100 workers have been instructed get tested. The article's right.
posted by samsara at 11:53 AM on October 22, 2001

This may or may not be relevant, but I just found this article (from the Moscow Times) about an outbreak of anthrax in 1979 that killed 68 people in the Soviet city of Yekaterinburg. We all know how scary this current threat is...with an understanding (more or less) of what anthrax is. Imagine what it would be like if no one really understood what was killing people off...
posted by tpl1212 at 2:30 PM on October 22, 2001