Skip to main content
CNN.com /TRANSCRIPTS
CNN TV
EDITIONS
SERVICES
CNN TV
EDITIONS


CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL

Anthrax Scare: Third Employee Tests Positive -- Now It's Criminal

Aired October 11, 2001 - 05:28   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we want to bring you the latest on the anthrax scare in Florida.

Health officials there say a third person has tested positive for exposure to anthrax.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators know more now about the strain of anthrax that they're dealing with, but as CNN's Ed Lavandera reports this morning, the FBI still has some very important questions to answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI is taking over the search for the anthrax source that infiltrated the office building of American Media, the parent company for several tabloid magazines.

After testing hundreds of people, investigators discovered a new anthrax case, and pronounced this a criminal investigation.

DR. JOHN AGWUNOBI, FLORIDA SECRETARY OF HEALTH: So far, of the 700 that we have reviewed, we have found one positive anthrax culture.

LAVANDERA: Anthrax spores were found in the nasal passages of a 35-year-old woman, who has not been identified publicly. She is the third employee exposed in the Boca Raton building. One worker, Robert Stevens, died last week. The other two are being treated at Miami- area hospitals.

GUY LEWIS, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY: We understand that this is a problem, and we will bring every resource that we have to bear on this problem, and I assure you we will resolve it.

LAVANDERA: Preliminary tests indicate all of the cases come from the same anthrax strain. Sources tell CNN the anthrax is believed to be the Ames strain. Researchers discovered it in Iowa during the 1950s. It's one of the most common anthrax strains, and has been widely distributed among researchers for years.

For investigators, it's clear the anthrax was deliberately placed inside the building. The questions are: who, how and why? But officials are quick to try to ease the most pressing fear. LEWIS: I have no evidence at this point indicating that this is related to the September 11 events.

HECTOR PESQUERA, FBI: This is a time for sound scientific principle and methodical investigation. Our scientific experts tell us that there is no investigative conclusions that can be drawn at this time.

LAVANDERA (on camera): It will take a couple of days to finalize testing on the employees of American Media and the people who entered that building, and it will also take several weeks to finalize testing on the anthrax samples found at the scene. Investigators say these lab tests will provide crucial evidence in this criminal investigation.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Boca Raton, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.


 
 
 
 


 Search   

Back to the top