This is the 73-year old mailroom guy--he devloped the inhalation form. However, because he was started on the antibiotics fairly early, he is said to be doing all right. Just breaking on CNN.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Answers

breaking on abcnews.go.com... a child of an ABC news person in NY has tested positive for anthrax.

still at work, and not sure if I'm going to be able to watch for updates

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

I heard it on the news a short time ago, but wasn't sure I had the details right. Great to hear he might be ok, but if the antibiotics are working, why are symptoms developing?

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

apoc, it is a 7-month old child. Skin anthrax. Presumably she was really sick (not necessarily from this) but now getting better.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

News conference on now, child is doing fine, is responding to treatment.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001

Monday October 15 8:01 PM ET

2nd Fla. Tabloid Worker Has Anthrax

By AMANDA RIDDLE, Associated Press Writer

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - A second employee of a Florida supermarket tabloid publisher has the inhaled form of anthrax, health officials said Monday.

Ernesto Blanco, 73, ``is improving and the public health officials are encouraged by his progress,'' state health officials said in a statement.

Blanco has been receiving treatment for anthrax since he was hospitalized earlier this month for what was believed to be pneumonia. At the time, officials said Blanco had anthrax bacteria in his nasal passages but had not been diagnosed with the disease.

One of Blanco's co-workers at The Sun tabloid, Robert Stevens, 63, died of inhalation anthrax on Oct. 5.

Anthrax spores were later found on Stevens' computer keyboard and the mailroom of the American Media building in Boca Raton. As many as five other employees have tested positive for exposure to anthrax, but none has come down with the disease.

More than 300 American Media employees are expected to undergo a second round of blood tests to detect the presence of anthrax antibodies. Palm Beach County health officials said the tests could begin as early as Wednesday.

The first round of blood tests taken last Wednesday on some 400 employees and visitors to American Media were complete but not yet available.

Earlier, health and postal officials said a small amount of anthrax spores had been found in a Postal Service mail sorting facility in Boca Raton. The building handles mail for American Media.

Nasal swabs of 30 workers at the facility came back negative for anthrax, Postal Inspector Manny Gonzalez said.

``There is no indication that these spores pose a health risk to workers or visitors,'' county health officials said. The city's post office, which is across the street, was not affected.

Experts estimate that 8,000 to 10,000 spores taken into the lungs can cause inhaled anthrax, a much more lethal form of the disease than the cutaneous - or skin - form. Stevens' death from inhalation anthrax was the first in the United States since 1976.

Meanwhile, the FBI (news - web sites) said Monday that the wife of Sun editor rented apartments to two of the suspected hijackers who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

``Right now we consider it a coincidence because we don't have any tie between the anthrax and the terrorists,'' FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said.

Gloria Irish, a real estate agent, rented two apartments in nearby Delray Beach to Hamza Alghamdi and Marwan al-Shehhi this summer. Both were on United Airlines Flight 175, the second jet that was flown into the World Trade Center.

Irish, who is married to Sun editor Michael Irish, declined comment Monday.

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2001