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CNN Live At Daybreak

Anthrax Scare: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Perform Tests for Anthrax on Letters, People

Aired October 15, 2001 - 07:07   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 federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia has the responsibility for tracking anthrax and other biological threats.

CNN Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland is standing by at the CDC this morning with the story from there -- Rhonda.

RHONDA ROWLAND, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, here at the CDC, of course, they're at the heart of doing the laboratory testing in this bioterrorist attack. And in the laboratories behind me, they're testing both samples taken from people and environmental samples from New York. In Nevada, we know at the state level, at the laboratories there, they had two positives on a sample from a letter that they believe was tainted with anthrax as well as a negative. So the sample was then sent here to the CDC. It arrived Saturday night. We are waiting for final confirmation on that particular sample.

And the CDC is doing all the testing on the blood samples from Florida, from all the AMI employees. They're doing that right here. And a wrinkle has been brought into the picture in that testing, and that is the blood test that's being used on those samples has only been used to look at antibodies against anthrax in people who have been vaccinated. So, say people who are in the military who've been vaccinated against anthrax, this test has been used to look for antibodies in that case. It's never been used to look for antibodies against naturally occurring anthrax. So scientists say they have to do some additional testing on those tests to make sure it can give them the information they want.

Still, they believe those blood tests are a very good starting point.

Now, the director of the CDC, Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, says they've been gearing up for a bioterrorist attack just like this and he said on "LARRY KING LIVE" last night that the system is handling it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JEFFREY KOPLAN, CDC DIRECTOR: We have swung into gear with heavy involvement at the federal, state and local level in all of these site or wherever there is a threat throughout the country. So I think the public can be assured that we have both taken this seriously and are trying to be proactive in finding other cases, stopping them in their tracks and so there's no other cases. And it's important to know that this is not a contagious disease.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLAND: And also what the health officials here say is that if you believe you have handled anything suspicious, any suspicious mail, and you are concerned that maybe you've touched something, you can easily decontaminate. Just go and wash your hands with soap and water and you are decontaminated. You will not be at risk at least for the cutaneous or the skin form of anthrax. And also if you believe it's been on your clothing, remove your clothing.

So, Paula, they really want to reassure the public that this is a very self-contained situation. Unless you have been in the situation where you've been directly exposed, that is, in the situation of handling mail, you are really not at risk.

ZAHN: Nevertheless, Rhonda, as you would well acknowledge, a lot of Americans out there are very frightened by this information.

ROWLAND: Yes, there are a lot of people frightened by this information and there are people going into emergency rooms wanting to be tested against anthrax. But again, health officials want to reassure everyone that they are being notified of mail that seems to be tampered with -- with any suspicious samples or substances and they will alert the public if there's any concern and also they'll make sure the right people get the tests and if people need antibiotics, there are plenty of antibiotics, and they will get them to individuals.

There is no need to hoard antibiotics -- Paula.

ZAHN: OK, Rhonda, thanks.

And a new CNN/"Time" poll finds that many Americans, nearly half of those polled, are concerned someone in their family will be exposed to anthrax.

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