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Walks: Anthrax deaths could have been avoided

Walks says authorities didn't know enough at the time to be able to prevent the deaths of two postal workers from anthrax
Walks says authorities didn't know enough at the time to be able to prevent the deaths of two postal workers from anthrax  


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- If medical officials had known more about the threat of anthrax in the nation's capital, they could have saved the lives of the two postal workers who died of inhalation anthrax, Washington's chief medical officer said Monday.

Dr. Ivan Walks told CNN that if medical officials had known a few weeks ago what they know now, they would also have done more "to help the medical detectives -- the doctors in the emergency room -- identify what is a suspicious patient."

"We did some of that, I think we saved some lives, (but) knowing what we know now I think we probably could have saved the two gentlemen who unfortunately died."

Walks also said officials would have closely communicated with regional health departments to get to the anthrax victims sooner.

He added health officials are "relatively comfortable that we did the best with what we knew, but I don't think that's any comfort to the families" of the victims.

The two postal workers worked at the Brentwood postal facility, which processed an anthrax-tainted letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's Senate office in October, and later tested positive for the potentially deadly bacteria.

An unopened letter sent to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, discovered by hazardous materials experts, could help answer some very important questions about who is behind the anthrax scare, Walks said.

The letter does not pose a risk to public health and no other Capitol Hill workers would be put on preventive antibiotics as a precaution, he said. However that does not mean the anthrax threat has disappeared.

"I think we should be very cautious to think that it's all over and we're fine. We are certainly not relaxing," Walks said.



 
 
 
 



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