ANTHRAX - New exposures lead house to shut doors

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New Exposures Lead House to Shut Doors More Than 20 Members of Daschle's Office Exposed to Bacteria

By Ceci Connolly Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, October 17, 2001; 11:27 AM

Congressional leaders announced today that the Capitol and office buildings for the House of Representatives will be closed from Thursday through Monday following the discovery that more than 20 members of Sen. Thomas A. Daschle's (D-S.D.) office staff were exposed to bacteria that can cause anthrax when a contaminated letter was opened there Monday.

The closure will allow officials to conduct a sweep of the buildings to look for more bacteria spores. Senate leaders are expected to meet later this morning and a decision about closing those offices may come then.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced on the Senate floor that more than 20 of Daschle's employees had been affected.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, who was testifying before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, cautioned the senators to understand that none of the Senate employees were infected but had just been exposed. That means that anthrax spores may have been in their nasal passages or on their clothing, but there is no indication yet that any have disease. Since they are all on preventive antibiotics, they would be expected to do well, he said.

The discovery of anthrax on Monday led to Daschle's office being closed immediately. The samples were sent to Fort Detrick in Maryland and following a confirmation of anthrax yesterday, Capitol Hill authorities closed another 11 Senate offices as a precaution to check the ventilation system. Hundreds of congressional employees were also tested yesterday.

Given the rash of outbreaks in three states, Lieberman said Americans are in "an understandable state of high anxiety."

He said the purpose of the hearing is to "offer reassurance to the public the federal government is on duty."

Government officials said yesterday that the anthrax found in the letter to Daschle is a highly potent, finely milled variety that spreads easily by air. They added that it appears to be similar to the spores that killed Florida photo editor Robert Stevens almost two weeks ago.

The letter also was similar to the one containing anthrax that went earlier to NBC News. Officials said both included similar references to Allah and a warning that they contained anthrax.

Although it has yet to be established that the anthrax sent to Brokaw and Daschle is the same high-grade variety, FBI investigators believe that the three cases – in Florida, New York and now Washington – are likely connected, officials said.

Daschle told reporters yesterday that the letter to his office contained a very potent form of anthrax "that was clearly produced by someone who knows what he or she is doing."

© 2001 The Washington Post Company

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001

Answers

Update in press conference (12:50 EDT): 31 positive nasal swabs, have all been on antibiotics for some time, absolutely no sign of infection. Not all 31 are Daschle staff.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001

that very potent form is what we at the post office are worried about, because it can be spread during the cleaning of the machines. We are demanding that they use vacuums, with special filters, instead of the compressed air hoses they have now which create a cloud of dust in the surrounding areas. I hate to think of the air ducts, there are so many of them...

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001

BF, they're saying now that the anthrax is NOT weapons grade, it's just the regular grade.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001

small comfort.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2001

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