IN THE NEWS - Anthrax in the U.S.

Written by Cynthia Kirk

This is Steve Emberwith the VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS.

United States officials called on the public Friday for more helpin finding whoever is responsible for sending anthrax in the mailsystem. They said they had hoped a government offer of one-milliondollars would have produced more information by now.

In the past month, doctors have confirmed at least sixteen casesof people on the East Coast with lung or skin infections fromanthrax bacteria. Most have been postal handlers or connected to themedia. Four of the people have died -- two in Washington, D-C, onein New York and one in Florida.

The investigation has centered on Trenton, New Jersey. At leastthree letters containing anthrax bacteria were mailed from there.Two went to news organizations in New York, the third to the officeof the Senate majority leader in Washington. That letter passedthrough Washington's main post office. Two workers there later diedof anthrax.

Discoveries of even small amounts of anthrax have led to theclosing of postal centers, government mailrooms and congressionaloffice buildings. Friday, the Supreme Court returned to its ownbuilding after meeting in another courthouse this week.

The Postal Service has reacted to the situation by starting totreat some mail with germ-killing radiation.

The anthrax cases began to appear not long after the Septembereleventh terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.Investigators, however, say they have yet to prove a connection.

This week, a sixty-one-year-old hospital worker in New York Citydied of inhalation anthrax. Health officials say the anthrax thatkilled Kathy Nguyen matches the bacteria found in the three letterssent from Trenton.

Her case, though, was a mystery. Investigators said they hadfound no evidence linking her death to infected mail. They begangoing back over her movements and speaking to people she knew,hoping to learn how she became infected.

For a long time, there have been fears of anthrax being turnedinto a biological weapon.

Anthrax can be found anywhere in the world, especially inagricultural areas, where animals become infected. The most commonform of infection in people is cutaneous anthrax. The bacteria canenter through a cut in the skin. This kind of anthrax is easilytreated.

People can get intestinal anthrax from eating the meat ofinfected animals. Inhalation anthrax, the most severe form of thedisease, happens when a person breathes the bacteria spores into thelungs.

Experts say anthrax cannot spread from one person to another.

Doctors treat anthrax with antibiotics. These medicines can behighly effective if begun early. Some people are now takingantibiotics to prevent any possible anthrax infection.

However, experts warn against taking antibiotics unless there isa real need. Some people suffer bad effects, and overuse can makeantibiotics less effective against the extremely small organismsthey are designed to kill.

This VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS, was written byCynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.