HAN

Wednesday, November 21, 2001, 21:05 EST (9:05 PM EST)CDCHAN-00058-2001-11-21-UPD-NCDC has confirmed a case of inhalational anthrax in Connecticut. Yesterday CDC was contacted by the Connecticut Department of Public Health about a respiratory illness in a 94-year-old female whose blood cultures grew organisms identified as Bacillus anthracis. The isolates arrived at CDC last night and were confirmed to be B. anthracis early this morning. The patient required intensive care and died this morning.The investigation in Connecticut is in progress but no source or mechanism of exposure has been identified. Persons in the local post office as well as the Wallingford mail processing facility have been advised to initiate prophylactic antimicrobial treatment. Additional persons who have visited the patient's home in the past 30 days also have been advised to initiate treatment. As the epidemiologic and environmental investigation proceeds, updated treatment recommendations will be made.Event Type: anthrax terrorism eventContext: general informationEvent Type: Man-madeAgent Type: bacteriaSpecify Agent (Name): anthraxInternational: noIntentional/Unintentional: intentional2001Anthrax Bioterrorism Event, 2001BacteriaBacillus anthraci