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American Morning

Update on Anthrax Cases in Hamilton Township, New Jersey

Aired October 29, 2001 - 10:05   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators trying, certainly, to trace the journey of those letters. While no one is saying where exactly they came from, it is too clear where they have been so far. CNN's Michael Okwu outside the mail processing facility in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. The workplace that the latest person testing positive for inhalation anthrax. Michael, good morning.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill. That's right. A case of inhalation anthrax here. She is a female postal mail handler. We are told she is resting comfortably at the hospital in stable condition. The other potential victim of inhalation anthrax, another woman was discharged from the hospital, and we are told continues to respond well to antibiotics. In the meantime, anthrax was discovered at the Princeton Post Office in West Windsor, New Jersey, which is some 15 minutes from here. Postal employees are deeply concerned that there is a fair amount of cross contamination going on. New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith is urging the postmaster general to shut down all 48 Central New Jersey postal facilities so that they can be tested and so that decontamination, if needed, can begin. Now, health officials are setting up a clinic at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center in case employees have medical questions. Though they make a point that there is no indication that anyone at Princeton Post Office was exposed to anthrax. Our viewers, now, may recall that 32 contaminated hot spots are in this particular facility in Hamilton Township, three contaminated letters, including, now, the infamous Daschle letter, were postmarked from here. At this point, 1100 workers have had nasal swab tests conducted on them. Five of them, we were told, were positive, which does not mean that those people have come down with anthrax, only that they were exposed. In the meantime, officials are telling postal workers they should stop taking Cipro after ten days and begin a course of doxycycline, which we are told has fewer side effects. In the meantime, we know there is a town meeting that is going to be held. This morning, officials are going to be meeting with some 500 residents, we are told, in the Trenton area. Those residents are obviously on edge and they have many questions. This postal facility here is still closed and there is no indication of when it will be open. Bill?

HEMMER: Michael Okwu, Hamilton Township, New Jersey. Michael, thanks.

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