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The last 12 daysBy Times staff and wire reports
© St. Petersburg Times, OCT. 3: A laboratory biologist at JFK Medical Center in West Palm Beach examines samples taken from patient Bob Stevens, 63, who is deathly ill with meningitis and pneumonia. A sample of suspicious bacterium is taken by courier to the Florida Department of Health laboratory in Jacksonville. It is identified as anthrax. OCT. 4: State and federal health officials announce Stevens, a photo editor at the supermarket tabloid Sun in Boca Raton, has anthrax. Officials say that it appears to be an isolated case and that Stevens, an avid outdoorsman, likely stumbled upon some naturally occuring anthrax, which is present in some soils. It is not believed to exist in Florida. OCT. 5: Stevens dies. Investigators from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Health Department call South Florida hospitals to inquire about other cases of severe pneumonia, a hallmark of anthrax. OCT. 7: Another Sun employee, Ernesto Blanco, 73, tests positive for anthrax bacteria during a routine test after he is admitted to an area hospital for pneumonia. The anthrax has not yet become active, and he is successfully treated with antibiotics. Meanwhile, investigators find anthrax bacteria on Stevens' computer keyboard. The Sun offices are sealed off. CDC ships 100 cases of powerful antibiotics to Palm Beach County. FBI joins the investigation. MONDAY: Employees of the Sun and other tabloids at American Media Inc. are told to report to the county health deparment for testing and antibiotics. Hundreds of employees, contract workers and visitors to the office line up. TUESDAY: State officials announce that they have identified the strain of the bacteria found in Stevens, Blanco and on the keyboard and that it likely came from the same source. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says it appears to be a case of bioterrorism, not an accident. WEDNESDAY: Tests show that a third Sun employee, Stephanie Dailey, 36, also has been exposed to anthrax. She was among those who received preventive treatment with antibiotics and shows no sign of getting sick. She tells reporters she feels fine. U.S. Attorney's Office announced that the case is officially a criminal investigation being handled by the FBI. THURSDAY: Florida Gov. Jeb Bush orders state agencies to stockpile drug treatments for chemical and biological attacks and create a statewide epidemiological intelligence service to look for and investigate future incidents. The FBI orders the Palm Beach and state health departments to stop providing press and public updates or other information about the anthrax case. FRIDAY: An employee of NBC TV in New York tests positive for cutaneous anthrax, a skin infection, after opening a suspicious envelope addressed to Tom Brokaw. Cutaneous anthrax is far less deadly than inhaled anthrax, which killed Stevens. The employee is said to be responding well to antibiotics. SATURDAY: Officials report that a letter postmarked from Trenton, N.J., and handled by the NBC employee has tested positive for anthrax. In addition, five more employees of American Media were found to have been exposed to anthrax. Also, Nevada government officials confirm positive tests for anthrax on a letter found in a South Reno office building. The letter contained pornographic material and was addressed to a Microsoft office in the building.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
