New anthrax victim 'gravely ill'

Environmental testing continues on Capitol Hill

A third person has been diagnosed in the US with the most serious form of anthrax, through inhalation.

Washington Mayor Anthony Williams offered his "prayers and condolences" to the family and the man "who is now gravely ill". He is reported to be in a stable condition in hospital.

More than 2,000 employees at the Brentwood mail centre in Washington, where the sick man works, and 150 at a mail centre near Baltimore-Washington International Airport where he also worked, are being tested and given treatment.

Five other Washington postal workers have symptoms consistent with anthrax and at least two of them are in hospital, city health department spokesman Jack Pannell said. Health officials are awaiting the test results.

Anthrax victims

Washington: Postal worker (inhalation anthrax, being treated)

New Jersey: Two postal workers (skin anthrax, being treated)

Florida: Bob Stevens, 63, worked for The Sun newspaper (inhalation anthrax, died), colleague Ernesto Blanco, 73 (inhalation anthrax, being treated)

New York (all being treated for skin anthrax): Claire Fletcher, 27, assistant to CBS newsreader Dan Rather, Erin O'Connor, 38, assistant to NBC newsreader Tom Brokaw, Johanna Huden, 30, assistant at New York Post, unnamed seven-month-old baby, the son of an ABC producer

This is the ninth confirmed case of anthrax in the United States since deliveries began turning up in Florida, Washington and New York.

The only person to die from anthrax during this scare - a Florida newspaper journalist - had the inhalation form of the disease, though it was not caught as early.

Six of the victims have been exposed through the skin, the less serious form of the disease.

The most recent victim went to hospital on Friday complaining of flu-like symptoms.

He works at the Washington mail centre which processed an anthrax-tainted letter sent to Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle.

But it is not known whether he was exposed to the disease through this letter.

Nearly 40 people in the United States, including 28 who work at the US Senate, have been exposed to anthrax bacteria in the past month.

Click here to see where anthrax has been discovered

Hazardous materials teams have been checking the House of Representatives after an anthrax-tainted letter was found in the Ford House Office Building mailroom.

US Capitol authorities said office buildings for the House and Senate would remain closed on Monday, but both chambers would be open on Tuesday.

"On Tuesday the House and Senate will be in session and ready for legislative business," said Capitol Police spokesman Dan Nichols.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed earlier that it had tracked two anthrax-bearing letters to a post office sorting box in New Jersey.

Anthrax match

US Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge said that the strain of anthrax used in the attacks on US media companies and the Senate appeared to be the same.

"We are obviously preparing for more," he said, though the FBI were unable to provide further details about the New Jersey investigation.

Anthrax drill is under way across the world

All three major TV networks in New York City, the Capitol Hill complex in Washington and a tabloid newspaper company in Florida are now all sites of anthrax infection.

The US is offering $1m for information on who is behind the anthrax attacks, FBI director Robert Mueller said.

The US postal service is sending cards to every home and business - 147 million addresses - telling people how to deal with suspicious post.

Health authorities and emergency services in New York have complained of being swamped by nervous members of the public demanding nasal swabs and doctors were urged not to prescribe the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin - used to treat anthrax - without good medical reason.

The drug's main manufacturer, Bayer, announced it would treble production.

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