Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Bubonic Plague in NYC?

Aired November 07, 2002 - 13:33   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.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: New York health officials are trying to ease the fears after two tourists apparently contracted the bubonic plague. For more about the plague and whether it's real a threat, let's bring in Atlanta internist Dr. Sandy Fryhofer.
Doctor, good to have you with us, as always.

DR. SANDY FRYHOFER, MEDICAL CONSULTANT: Thank you.

SAVIDGE: Tell us, what is the plague?

FRYHOFER: It's an infection we don't hear about all that often, even though in the United States, we still see about 10 to 20 cases each year. When I hear the words bubonic plague, it brings back memories of history class and the black death of the 14th century, which killed over 40 million people. Now we now know that plague's are caused by a bacterium called ursenium pestis (ph), and it's transmitted to humans by flea bites, and the fleas get it from biting infected rodents like rats and prairie dogs.

SAVIDGE: And what are the symptoms?

FRYHOFER: Well, the typical sign is a tender swollen, very painful lymph node called a "bubo," hence the name bubonic plague, and also, there are some flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, chills, weakness. Now if left untreated, it can spread to the lungs and to the bloodstream. And it gets into the lungs, it can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, cough, and some people will begin to cough up blood.

Now the incantation period is about two six days, which means it can take up to a week can develop symptoms after getting infected.

It's diagnosed with blood tests colters (ph) and special stains that can find the bacteria. And it's treated with antibiotics. The first choice being one we don't hear about that often called streptomyosin (ph), but it also responds to some antibiotics you've probably hear of a lot, like Cipro and Dioxyclcene (ph).

Now again, if these people aren't treated quickly, they will die. And even in the United States, about one in seven cases is fatal. Also people who've had close contact with infected people need prophylactic antibiotics for about seven days.

Now these patients in New York were put in isolation, and most likely the health care workers taking care of these patients are wearing a close fitting surgical mask, but just as a safety measure. SAVIDGE: All right, doctor, This is the question we all worry about, is it contagious?

FRYHOFER: Well, it depends, Martin, about the type you're talking about. The case in New York is supposedly bubonic plague, the most common form of plague, and this is the kind you get, as we said, from a flea bite or through a break in the skin, but neither skin exposure type, nor the blood form is contagious.

However, the lung form called knew pneumonic plague is contagious and can be spread person-to-person by breathing in respiratory droplets that are infected with plague.

SAVIDGE: OK, and I think you were talking about this, but how common is it in the United States?

FRYHOFER: Well, the last plague epidemic occurred in Los Angeles back 1925 in California. Each year, we see about 10 to 15 to 20 cases in the United States, usually in rural areas. Now worldwide, there about 1,000 to 3,000 cases each year.

Most human cases in the United States have occurred in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, California, and supposedly, this man and woman are from New Mexico, and were just visiting in New York. So they were tourists.

SAVIDGE: And a question that is going to come up in the minds of many after 09/11, could you use it as a weapon?

FRYHOFER: Martin, yes, you can. In fact, in the 1950s and 1960s, both the United States and Russia used techniques in which they could aerosolize these plague particles, causing the more lethal lung form of this disease, the pneumonic plague. Now a vaccine has been licensed in the United States. It did exist, but it was discontinued by the manufacturer back in 1999, because it didn't seem to prevent the lung form of the plague, pneumonic plague.

But let's go back to this couple in New York. In this case, there is no reason, no reason whatsoever to expect foul play. At this point, the most likely source is a natural infection from a flea bite. And I think they did find some rodents back in New Mexico, where these people lived last year that were infected with the plague.

SAVIDGE: Thanks for the reassurance, doctor. We appreciate it. Dr. Sandy Fryhofer.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 7, 2002 - 13:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: New York health officials are trying to ease the fears after two tourists apparently contracted the bubonic plague. For more about the plague and whether it's real a threat, let's bring in Atlanta internist Dr. Sandy Fryhofer.
Doctor, good to have you with us, as always.

DR. SANDY FRYHOFER, MEDICAL CONSULTANT: Thank you.

SAVIDGE: Tell us, what is the plague?

FRYHOFER: It's an infection we don't hear about all that often, even though in the United States, we still see about 10 to 20 cases each year. When I hear the words bubonic plague, it brings back memories of history class and the black death of the 14th century, which killed over 40 million people. Now we now know that plague's are caused by a bacterium called ursenium pestis (ph), and it's transmitted to humans by flea bites, and the fleas get it from biting infected rodents like rats and prairie dogs.

SAVIDGE: And what are the symptoms?

FRYHOFER: Well, the typical sign is a tender swollen, very painful lymph node called a "bubo," hence the name bubonic plague, and also, there are some flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, chills, weakness. Now if left untreated, it can spread to the lungs and to the bloodstream. And it gets into the lungs, it can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, cough, and some people will begin to cough up blood.

Now the incantation period is about two six days, which means it can take up to a week can develop symptoms after getting infected.

It's diagnosed with blood tests colters (ph) and special stains that can find the bacteria. And it's treated with antibiotics. The first choice being one we don't hear about that often called streptomyosin (ph), but it also responds to some antibiotics you've probably hear of a lot, like Cipro and Dioxyclcene (ph).

Now again, if these people aren't treated quickly, they will die. And even in the United States, about one in seven cases is fatal. Also people who've had close contact with infected people need prophylactic antibiotics for about seven days.

Now these patients in New York were put in isolation, and most likely the health care workers taking care of these patients are wearing a close fitting surgical mask, but just as a safety measure. SAVIDGE: All right, doctor, This is the question we all worry about, is it contagious?

FRYHOFER: Well, it depends, Martin, about the type you're talking about. The case in New York is supposedly bubonic plague, the most common form of plague, and this is the kind you get, as we said, from a flea bite or through a break in the skin, but neither skin exposure type, nor the blood form is contagious.

However, the lung form called knew pneumonic plague is contagious and can be spread person-to-person by breathing in respiratory droplets that are infected with plague.

SAVIDGE: OK, and I think you were talking about this, but how common is it in the United States?

FRYHOFER: Well, the last plague epidemic occurred in Los Angeles back 1925 in California. Each year, we see about 10 to 15 to 20 cases in the United States, usually in rural areas. Now worldwide, there about 1,000 to 3,000 cases each year.

Most human cases in the United States have occurred in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, California, and supposedly, this man and woman are from New Mexico, and were just visiting in New York. So they were tourists.

SAVIDGE: And a question that is going to come up in the minds of many after 09/11, could you use it as a weapon?

FRYHOFER: Martin, yes, you can. In fact, in the 1950s and 1960s, both the United States and Russia used techniques in which they could aerosolize these plague particles, causing the more lethal lung form of this disease, the pneumonic plague. Now a vaccine has been licensed in the United States. It did exist, but it was discontinued by the manufacturer back in 1999, because it didn't seem to prevent the lung form of the plague, pneumonic plague.

But let's go back to this couple in New York. In this case, there is no reason, no reason whatsoever to expect foul play. At this point, the most likely source is a natural infection from a flea bite. And I think they did find some rodents back in New Mexico, where these people lived last year that were infected with the plague.

SAVIDGE: Thanks for the reassurance, doctor. We appreciate it. Dr. Sandy Fryhofer.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com