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Breaking News

Positive Anthrax Sample Taken in Oxford, Connecticut

Aired November 30, 2001 - 13:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Some developments now from Connecticut on the case of that 94-year-old woman who died of inhalation anthrax.

Let's bring in our Eileen O'Connor now.

Eileen, what are you learning?

EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning that there is a positive test result in the area -- in the town around Ottilie Lundgren's home. Now, Ottilie Lundrgen is the 94- year-old woman who died,as you said, of inhalation anthrax in Connecticut -- Oxford, Connecticut. Small town; investigators have been perplexed as to how she was exposed to anthrax.

Now we're being told the governor of Connecticut will be coming out in about seven minutes' time to give a press conference and talk about the positive test results. We're not sure exactly what has tested positive -- if it's the mail that's been tested in the town; if it's a neighbor's house. They've been testing a lot of facilities -- postal facilities, her home, and restaurants. Any place where she might have been.

This was a woman who didn't get out very much, so there have been limited places to test. And so far all those results are negative. So positive test results could be a break that investigators need, because they need to know how this women came to be exposed to anthrax.

WOODRUFF: Do we know where this information is coming from?

O'CONNOR: The postal inspector in -- told us this in Washington, D.C. And we're also being told by the governor's office that he is going to be talking about a positive test result. So we do know there is at least one positive test result.

WOODRUFF: So just the fact that it's the postal inspector as the source doesn't necessarily mean that it's something in the mail.

O'CONNOR: No, because all of the investigators have been working together -- the postal inspector, the FBI, as well as the Connecticut public health -- the state's department of public health. They're all been working together on this, so it's been a joint investigation.

WOODRUFF: All right, Eileen O'Connor.

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