Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Many People on Cipro Encouraged to Take Doxycycline

Aired October 28, 2001 - 08:17   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: A number of developments to report to you concerning anthrax. CNN medical correspondent Rhonda Rowland is live on Capitol Hill with more.

Rhonda, bring us up to speed.

RHONDA ROWLAND, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Jeanne.

First of all, we'll start in New Jersey, where the main post office in Princeton was closed over the weekend after a small amount of anthrax was found in a mail bin. And two New Jersey postal workers with suspected cases of inhalation anthrax are improving.

And in New York, a postal worker who died in October -- earlier October, on the 10th, medical examiners say they will reevaluate her death, since at the time it was determined that the cause of death was natural causes. They'll go back to see if the cause of death was actually anthrax.

Now, here on Capitol Hill, there's evidence that anthrax contamination has spread to 17 locations in 12 buildings, including three congressional offices in the Longworth Building...

(AUDIO GAP)

ROWLAND: ... there are now more than 10,000 people in the Washington area alone who are on antibiotics.

Most of them are on the drug Cipro. Because of that, health officials are now going to make a switch. They are going to strongly encourage that anyone who now needs antibiotics will get doxycycline. And, in fact, the Supreme Court justices will be put on this antibiotic this week.

And the reason that they're making this change is because CDC has recommended that both drugs, Cipro and doxycycline, are equally effective in preventing anthrax. Also from the Washington health officials, they're alerting everyone, if you are told to go on a 60- day course of antibiotics, it's best to follow doctors' orders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. IVAN WALKS, D.C. CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER: Anthrax is sort of packaged in a seed. That's that spore that they're talking about. And it can sit there on the ground for decades. It can sit inside of you for weeks and weeks before you become ill.

And so we've had cases of people becoming ill up to over a month after they were exposed. That's why the 60 days. Remember, the antibiotics are not an immunization. They don't protect you after you stop taking them. So you have to be on them when the bacteria attacks you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLAND: It is difficult to stay on any kind of medication for two months. And the CDC is, in fact, conducting a study where they will be monitoring to see if people actually stick to this regimen, and that should help them in the future if -- if -- there is ever another outbreak -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Rhonda, but Cipro is still being used as well, isn't it?

ROWLAND: It is, Jeanne. They are not abandoning Cipro. It's a very important drug, a powerful drug. But the problem is, if they get too many people on this drug it could become resistant. Already there's evidence that this drug is becoming resistant to other infections out there.

And also, there's another issue, just that doxycycline is cheaper; it is more plentiful. But, again, if anyone is asked to go on doxycycline, they should not feel like they are getting a second- class or a second-line drug -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Rhonda Rowland on Capitol Hill. Thank you.

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