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CNN Live At Daybreak

Anthrax Investigation: Baby Infected at ABC in Good Condition

Aired October 17, 2001 - 08:21   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: All together now, there have been four cases of anthrax infection: two in Florida and two in New York.

CNN's Jason Carroll joins me live, from New York, with the very latest.

Good morning, Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Paula.

The baby that was infected with anthrax here at ABC is in good condition, responding well to antibiotics, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what that baby came in contact with when he was here with his mother, back on September 28, apparently here for some sort of a birthday party. Health officials are retracing their steps, focusing their attention on the second and third floors here at ABC, especially some of the edit bays up there. Those two floors are now basically closed.

This is a puzzling case, Paula, because there is no letter per se to point at, like we saw in the case of NBC. They have questioned a little more than 100 people here at ABC. No one is showing any symptoms.

In the wake of what has happened, health officials also did environmental checks of several news organizations, checking out their mail rooms, including our own mail room, at CNN.

But once again, the baby that was infected here is infected with a skin form of anthrax, and that is usually treatable with antibiotics -- Paula.

ZAHN: Yes, I guess it was really touch and go for that little boy.

CARROLL: Yes.

ZAHN: I'm glad he's doing much better -- very, very scary.

Thanks, Jason -- see you throughout the morning.

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