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CNN Live At Daybreak

Anthrax Scare: Employees at AMI Face More Tests

Aired October 15, 2001 - 08:49   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The one death from anthrax so far was a photo editor who worked in American Media building in Boca Raton, Florida. Other employees of the tabloid publisher face more tests.

Our Mark Potter joins us from Boca Raton this morning with the latest on the situation from there.

Good morning, Mark.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Paula.

The FBI and health investigations enter a new week, amid hopes that important information can be revealed. Over the weekend, agents were awaiting the lab test results from the samples that were taken throughout the American Media building, the building behind me here in Boca Raton. Those results are considered important, because depending what they show, they could then help focus the investigation.

So far, anthrax traces have been found on a computer keyboard and on a mailroom slot in the building.

Agents also spent the weekend beginning the process of interviewing some 800 workers and visitors to the building, hoping to develop leads that way.

Meanwhile in Washington, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson described this event here as indeed some sort of bioterrorism, although he noted that no links have been made to the events of September 11th. He was also asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer if the Florida case is linked to anything else.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The investigations under way in South Florida, in New York, and in Nevada, are they connected? Is there some common link between all three?

TOMMY THOMPSON, HHS SECRETARY: We don't know conclusively. Some look suspicious, but we don't know for sure, and we can't speculate. We want to make sure that's why the labs in Atlanta, that's where CDC -- we have a great organization.

BLITZER: The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

THOMPSON: They are going to be doing -- they are going to be the ultimate individuals, as far as testing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Meanwhile, workers here at AMI are also being asked to take a second blood test. We are told that is considered normal in a case like this. Health officials tell CNN, that in the first blood test, five employees were found to be mildly reactive to be mildly reactive to tests for anthrax antibodies, but we are being told that those tests are preliminary, they are not at all conclusive, and they could turn out to be negative later on. We'll just have to wait and see.

Mark Potter, CNN, reporting live, from Boca Raton, Florida.

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