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CNN Live Saturday

CDC Plans to Replace Cipro as Antibiotic of Choice to Treat Anthrax

Aired October 27, 2001 - 15:05   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.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of anthrax, until today, Cipro has been the drug of choice to combat the potentially deadly disease. But now, the Centers for Disease Control are planning to switch to another antibiotic, and that's amid new contamination concerns. One involves another location on Capitol Hill.

And joining us is CNN medical correspondent Rhonda Rowland, who is here in Washington -- Rhonda.

RHONDA ROWLAND, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bob, that's right. The new building where they have just found contamination -- that is contamination with anthrax -- is the Longworth Office Building. This is one of the three office buildings for the House of Representatives, and investigators say they have found trace amount -- that is low levels of spores -- in three of the offices -- three of the offices of congressmen. And Representative Mike Pence of Indiana is one of the congressmen who has had the contamination in his office, and he spoke today at a press conference with other officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE PENCE (R), INDIANA: To the people who did this, wherever they are, our message to you is simply this: You have failed again. You have failed to reach your target, and you have failed in a much more profound way. For by this act, you have further steeled the resolve of every member of this national government, whose duty it is to either bring you to justice or seal your fate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLAND: Dr. Gregory Martin, who is a physician with Bethesda Naval Hospital, said today at that press conference that people who may have been exposed in these particular offices will now be offered a different antibiotic. Instead of Cipro, they will now be getting doxycycline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CMDR. GREG MARTIN, BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL: We are just taking safety sake and looking at all of the people, who were actually in that office, with business in that office, and we'll be treating them with 60 days of doxycycline, which is what the CDC is now recommending, because we are fortunate to have a very sensitive organism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLAND: We have been told that the Supreme Court justices will be among those who will be started on doxycycline. So far, there are about 10,000 people, just in the Washington area, who have been put on Cipro, and some of them are apparently complaining of the side effects, which can include a rash and an upset stomach -- Bob.

FRANKEN: Well, it then raises the question: What about doxycycline? Doesn't it, too, have some side effects?

ROWLAND: Doxycycline, like all antibiotics, does have some side effects, but apparently they're not as harsh as those experienced with Cipro. And Cipro is a very powerful antibiotic. It's been described as a big gun. And now that investigators are quite certain that this strain of anthrax is sensitive to doxycycline, as well as penicillin, they'd like to see people put on some alternative mediations, and for the public to have confidence in these other antibiotics.

Also another concern, Bob, is antibiotic resistance. With so many people going on Cipro for a long period of time, there is concern that other organisms, other kinds of diseases, would become resistant to Cipro.

FRANKEN: Rhonda Rowland here in Washington. Clearly a medical strategy like so many of the strategies here, the medical strategy is still evolving.

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