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CNN Live Sunday

Mysterious Illness Causes Death of One; Seven Others Treated

Aired February 10, 2002 - 17:51   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, now back to an update on one of our top stories. In Cherry Hill, New Jersey one woman has died from a mysterious bacteria, others are being treated with antibiotics. The bacteria is one that could cause meningitis or pneumonia, and joining us via phone right now is Michael Okwu. He is giving us an update now on the situation there. Hi there, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. Forty-five- year old Joan Hempstreet (ph) of Kingston, Massachusetts died this morning, as you mentioned. Doctors at Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and the Camden County Medical Examiner say, based on preliminary test results, she died of bacteria pneumonia.

Now that's an aggressive bacterial infection. There had been some concern, as you mentioned, that she may have contracted meningitis. Doctors will be conducting further tests, they say for meningitis and Legionnaire's Disease, but they say that they are 80 percent sure that, in fact, she died of this aggressive form of pneumonia.

Now, Hempstreet (ph) was here for a convention held by Cendit Mortgage where she was an employee. It was being held at the Hilton Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She had been complaining about flu- like symptoms as early as Wednesday, while she was en route to the hotel with some of her colleagues at Cendit.

Seven other employees attending the convention have been admitted to the hospital, two with minor forms of pneumonia and five have bronchitis. All I should say are in stable condition. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Also Michael, this morning for a while the hotel was quarantined. Even some of the emergency workers were also treated at the hospital. How about any of the hotel workers?

OKWU: Well we know at this point that more than 400 guests had checked in while Ms. Hempstreet was there. A majority of them were from Cendit. The hotel that you mentioned was quarantined from about 2:00 a.m. this past morning to 10:00 a.m.

Many people were treated at the hospital, were taken in and given prophylactic antibiotics just as a precaution. Some hotel workers as well as employees from Cendit, and anyone of course who had direct contact with her within the past few days were told quite emphatically that they had to have them checked out, and in fact, as we understand it that is the case. Seven of those people, as I mentioned earlier, have been admitted to the hospital and are again in stable condition. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So once again, Michael, then doctors are leaning toward the bacteria that causes pneumonia as being the possible cause of death for the one woman, and also now treating the other people who are at the hotel. When might a final determination be made?

OKWU: We are told that the final test results will be available within the next 24 to 48 hours. They say don't look for anything definite before 48 hours. And again, they say that they are 80 percent sure that it was, in fact, this pneumonia that caused her death and they stress that it was a very aggressive pneumonia and that none of the other people who have been admitted to the hospital at this point have that form of pneumonia. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much Michael Okwu for that update out of Cherry Hill, New Jersey this evening.

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