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CNN Live At Daybreak

Anthrax Scare Widening; Interview with Rep. Chris Smith (R), New Jersey

Aired October 30, 2001 - 07:19   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.
O'BRIEN: Now to the widening anthrax scare. For the first time since the crisis began, there are some apparent anthrax victims who have no direct connection to either the postal service or the news media. One case involves a woman with skin anthrax who lives near the contaminated mail distribution center in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. And officials say a postal worker there suffers from inhaled anthrax.

A woman here in New York is also being treated for suspicion of inhaled anthrax.

Jason Carroll is at the hospital with the latest on that -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, I can tell you that the woman is 61 years old. She works in the stock room here at this hospital. It is an eye, ear and throat hospital. Apparently that stock room is located near a mail room and officials say that this woman would deliver mail as part of her regular duties.

Apparently she became sick last Thursday. She went to work anyway. She also went to work on Friday. But over the weekend, her condition became much, much worse. She checked herself into a hospital late on Sunday. She was in critical condition. Doctors put her on a respirator. A preliminary test did reveal that she did have inhalation anthrax. That is, as you said, the most serious form of the disease. If confirmed, it would be the first such case here in New York City.

As a precaution, a hazardous materials team came out to this eye, ear and throat hospital. They've taken 40 environmental samples. Those test results should be available later today.

Some of the hospital workers here have been tested as a precaution and some have been given antibiotics, as well.

This morning we had an opportunity to speak to a doctor here at the hospital. He tells us that this hospital will be closed for a day. It's mostly an outpatient facility, so those patients with the most urgent need of care will be transferred to other facilities -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jason Carroll in Manhattan, thank you very much. The New Jersey woman confirmed yesterday with skin anthrax works in the same office building where Congressman Chris Smith has his local office.

The congressman joins us now live from Trenton. Good to have you with us, sir.

REP. CHRIS SMITH (R), NEW JERSEY: Thank you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Do you think that that is a coincidence?

SMITH: Frankly, I think it may be a coincidence. I'm hoping that it is a coincidence. We still don't know how she contracted anthrax, whether or not it was from a letter, whether or not it was here at work or at home. That's all under investigation now by the proper authorities.

O'BRIEN: Tell us about the response at your office and in that office building in general. I assume that federal authorities have been there and continue to be there.

SMITH: Yes. We've had ongoing discussions with the FBI and others. They are going to completely test her office. They're going to test my office, as well. And then if necessary the other offices in the complex.

Obviously it's an expanding, just like this whole probe continues to expand to find out, you know, what is the culprit, whether or not it was cross contamination remains probably the biggest question of all. You know, one letter next to another letter and the juxtaposition of several letters next to a tainted letter could have produced this widening contagion of anthrax.

O'BRIEN: I want to ask you about that widening contagion. But before we get much further, the woman who works near to you, first of all, do you know her? Secondly, do you know her condition?

SMITH: Frankly, they're keeping the name of the woman completely secret, and for good reason, to protect her privacy. It's likely that I do know her or at least have met her, but there are a number of people who work here and what we're trying to do is to keep that as off limits as possible.

O'BRIEN: All right, talking about this expanding contagion of anthrax, let's talk about the postal service, first of all. You've been critical of how they've responded thus far. Are they responding in a better way now, do you think?

SMITH: Miles, there's no doubt about it. Yesterday after asking and requesting for a number of days, the postal service decided to test environmentally the 44 feeder stations. There are, obviously there are a number of post offices that are interrelated with the Hamilton facility. And the idea behind this is to find out how far out, what are the parameters in terms of contamination. It seems to me to be a no brainer that we should check those offices that are in daily, multi-daily, you know, several times a day kind of contact with the postal facility in Hamilton Township. And now that...

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense...

SMITH: That has been ordered.

O'BRIEN: Give us a sense, then, the criticism in particular, some of the union leaders here in Manhattan have been extremely critical of the postal service, saying there's essentially a double standard which actually has its roots in racism. The response on Capitol Hill being one thing, the response for the Supreme Court being one thing and then for the postal workers a different thing. What do you think of that?

SMITH: Well, I think that is, frankly, a false charge. What the postal authorities have tried to do is to obviously shut down and work with health officials, but shut down those facilities and test those facilities that have a problem. This is a work in progress. You know, the book is being written as we talk. I don't think anyone has the answer. There has been some confusion. There's been decisions made, for example, about Cipro.

Early on that was supposed to be the wonder drug. Now we find that another antibiotic has less side effects and is being proffered by CDC as the better alternative.

You know, there's a learning curve here. Hopefully there will be a lessons learned. I don't think racism has anything whatsoever to do with it. I think that it's a matter of responsiveness, lack of knowledge, learning curve and, you know, and I say that as someone who has been critical. But I think the criticisms I've had have been constructive.

I think we're all in this together. There is a unity and we've got to make sure that if we err in terms of testing, that it's on the side of protection for the postal workers and for the public at large.

O'BRIEN: All right, we're just about out of time, Mr. Smith. I just want to ask you one more question before you get away. What's your gut tell you? Is this domestic grown terrorism? Or is this something from outside our borders? What do you think?

SMITH: Well, my gut says follow every lead but it does say that this is a problem that is likely to get worse and everyone needs to have patience. They need to be very vigilant. We're not to panic. But we are really in a very difficult situation. Terrorism, domestically and internationally, there are extremists everywhere who have access to weapons that are highly destructive and we need to obviously aid law enforcement. If you see something that's suspicious, tell the proper authorities. Don't take it into your own hands. Tell the proper authorities. And if you think something on yourself or family like a black boil or something of that kind, get to a doctor. Don't wait.

O'BRIEN: Representative Chris Smith, Republican of New Jersey, live from Trenton. Thanks for being with us this morning.

SMITH: Thank you very much.

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