18 - 24 October 2001
Issue No.556
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 18 - 24 October 2001 Issue No.556 |
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Second wave of terror
Panic over the US anthrax scare is sweeping the West. This week, writes Willa Thayer, it reached Egypt
In a country known for the speed at which transactions are conducted, the United States appears to have been forced into the slow lane, its population gripped by fear of air travel, and now by concerns about anthrax spores being spread through the mail.
(photo: AP)
As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases of anthrax had reached 13 -- one of the most recent instances being the infant of a producer at the American television broadcasting network ABC. On Tuesday it was confirmed that the office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle had received a letter containing anthrax spores and subsequently, mail service to and from Congress was suspended indefinitely.
Only one person has died of exposure to anthrax since the start of the scare early this month. This case, the first, was contracted through inhalation of the spores -- the type of anthrax that is most deadly. The prognosis for the other cases is more hopeful as they are of the cutaneous form, contracted when spores come into contact with an open cut. The third manner of contracting anthrax is through consuming meat contaminated with the disease.
To fight anthrax, a course is prescribed of the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin -- currently in high demand in the United States as people rush to prepare for the worst.
The appearance of anthrax cases in the US has heightened fear among officials and the public, on edge since the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington. In the absence of leads to the perpetrators spreading the spores, the country has been decidedly alarmed. Letters containing the spores have been received by many media organisations and addressed, in some cases, to well-known figures.
Pranksters have capitalised on the panic and numerous anonymous letters containing harmless white powders have been received by organisations around the country. Abortion clinics, long- time targets of scare tactics, have been among these victims. Planned Parenthood reported that some 90 clinics have received letters containing white powder since the panic began.
As of Wednesday, the United States was the only country where people had been infected with the disease and where mysterious powders received in anonymous letters or discovered in public places had been confirmed to contain the deadly spores. In recent weeks, panic has spread about the possibility of anthrax outbreaks in other countries, particularly in the West. Government offices and organisations in Canada, Germany and France gave reported receiving suspicious mail containing white powder, as did the London Stock Exchange.
Cairo had its first anthrax scare this week, but according to the Ministry of Health none of the packages that people reported as suspicious contained harmful substances. On Tuesday, a female employee at a branch of an American bank in Giza opened a package from abroad that contained a suspicious white powder. The Ministry of Health announced that the powder did not contain any harmful substances and the employee, who underwent a medical exam, was in good health. Tests on the mysterious substance were conducted at the Ministry of Health's central laboratory with assistance from the American NAMRU-3 (Naval Medical Research Unit).
The Ministry of Health says it has completed a plan to fight anthrax, including measures for prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The ministry's plan includes the formation of medical teams of epidemic specialists and analysts who will be provided with a mobile laboratory. Currently, the government's Department of Veterinary Medicine is implementing procedures to ensure that animals carrying the disease are not imported.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the availability of Ciprofloxacin at hospitals. Produced by the multinational pharmaceutical company Bayer, the drug is manufactured in Egypt under licence by Alcan pharmaceuticals. Called "CiproBay," it is available at pharmacies. The antibiotic is also produced locally by the pharmaceutical company Amriya.
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