Hundreds in anthrax alert as mail man fights for life

More than 2,000 postal workers were tonight awaiting the results of anthrax tests after a colleague in Washington DC was diagnosed with the most serious form of the infection.

The man, who has not been named, was in a serious but stable condition in hospital with inhalation anthrax, the type of the infection which has already killed one man in Florida and infected a second during the wave of the germ attacks.

Five more postal workers in the American capital were waiting for test results after they began suffering flu-like symptoms which are consistent with inhalation anthrax.

Inhalation is the most feared form of anthrax because the spores are breathed directly to the lungs, where they can develop into the full-blown infection, and is fatal in about 80% of cases.

The case is the latest to emerge and brings to nine the total number of people to contract the infection in both the inhalation and skin-borne, or cutaneous, forms.

Six people have contracted the cutaneous form of anthrax, where the spores make their way into the body through the skin and form a seeping black ulcer.

The seven include two postal workers in New Jersey, and four media workers in New York, who are Claire Fletcher, 27, from Sheffield, an assistant to CBS newsreader Dan Rather; Erin O’Connor, 38, an assistant to NBC newsreader Tom Brokaw; the unnamed seven-month-old son of an ABC producer; and Johanna Huden, an assistant at the New York Post newspaper.

In Florida, British-born picture editor Bob Stevens, 63, who worked at American Media Incorporated, died of inhalation anthrax and his colleague, mailroom worker Ernesto Blanco, 73, is suffering from the infection.

Washington’s central postal facility and another where the infected man also worked have been closed as public health officials try to find the source of the anthrax spores which the man, who lives in Virginia, inhaled, while hospital staff monitor his health.

Postmaster-General John Potter said: ‘‘We’re hearing a good prognosis but the next 24 hours are critical.’’

Anne Peterson, Virginia’s health commissioner, added: ‘‘The prognosis for inhalation anthrax is not great. The earlier you start, the better.’’

The five people being tested for possible anthrax are in hospital and being treated with powerful antibiotics while doctors wait for results, which are likely to come later this week.

Only one letter tainted with anthrax has been found in Washington. It was sent to the offices of Tom Daschle, leader of the majority Democrats in the Senate.

Two other letters laced with the spores have been uncovered, one to Mr Brokaw, and the other to the New York Post, with investigators saying the packages to Mr Daschle and Mr Brokaw had ‘‘similarities’’ in the handwriting and were both postmarked from Trenton, New Jersey.

Detectives have traced the packages to the town and are investigating the routes of two postal workers in Ewing Township, a suburb, who have contracted the skin-borne type of the infection.

But mystery surrounds how the postal worker suffering inhalation anthrax breathed in the thousands of spores needed to contract the infection. They are looking into whether there are other tainted letters which have not emerged and which the man may have handled.

He first developed flu-like symptoms in the middle of last week but did not feel ill enough to go to hospital until Friday, where he was immediately given the powerful antibiotic Cipro which is used to treat anthrax. And 1,100 of his colleagues were given nasal-swab tests today, while 150 workers at an air mail facility at Baltimore-Washington International Airport were also tested.

All were also being given a 10-day supply of antibiotics, while 1,000 workers were tested yesterday and were also waiting for results.

Today the Capitol was struggling to get back to business after being closed to allow a search for anthrax contamination after the letter sent to Mr Daschle exposed 28 people to the spores.

It was given the all-clear on Sunday with traces of anthrax found only in its mail room and Mr Daschle’s offices, which were both decontaminated. Also given the all-clear were the offices of New York governor George Pataki, where there had been a preliminary find of anthrax last week.

A total of 41 people have been exposed to anthrax, with 32 people being found to have come into contact with the spores but did not develop the disease. An unknown number thought to run into thousands are receiving powerful antibiotics as a preventative measure. And sales of the drug have soared as doctors stockpile it and worried families buy it for their children.

Postal deliveries have been slowed as workers put on gloves and masks to handle mail, while many offices have decided not to open letters and packages and have shut their mail rooms.

Even Hollywood has been caught up, with many celebrities warning they will not open fan letters in case they contain the deadly spores.