Thompson发誓要在邮局增加警备(上)
WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters Health) - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson pledged Tuesday to boost vigilance at US postal facilities amid growing criticism that federal health authorities were slow to respond to anthrax among mail workers.
Thompson made his statement to Congress just as DC officials confirmed anthrax as the culprit in two District postal workers' deaths announced Monday. Officials also announced that another mail worker, this one in New Jersey, had a confirmed diagnosis of inhalation anthrax, the most dangerous form of the disease.
Two other postal employees are currently hospitalized in Washington with inhalation anthrax.
Thompson told a House subcommittee that government health authorities would step up their efforts to test and treat postal employees for anthrax in the event that contamination is suspected at more postal facilities.
"We will immediately move in at any and all facilities" where anthrax is suspected, Thompson said, adding that public health officials will "err on the side of caution" even if scientific assessments do not necessarily reveal contamination.
Thompson was responding to growing concern among postal workers and others that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was slow to begin anthrax testing at DC mail facilities following the discovery of a tainted letter on Capitol Hill last Monday. The two sick postal employees, as well as the two who died, all worked at the Brentwood mail distribution center, which handles mail bound for Congress.
"It became quite obvious that members of Congress received a far quicker response than employees of the US Postal Service when we faced this particular crisis," said Rep. Tom Lantos of California, a senior Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee., http://www.100md.com
Thompson made his statement to Congress just as DC officials confirmed anthrax as the culprit in two District postal workers' deaths announced Monday. Officials also announced that another mail worker, this one in New Jersey, had a confirmed diagnosis of inhalation anthrax, the most dangerous form of the disease.
Two other postal employees are currently hospitalized in Washington with inhalation anthrax.
Thompson told a House subcommittee that government health authorities would step up their efforts to test and treat postal employees for anthrax in the event that contamination is suspected at more postal facilities.
"We will immediately move in at any and all facilities" where anthrax is suspected, Thompson said, adding that public health officials will "err on the side of caution" even if scientific assessments do not necessarily reveal contamination.
Thompson was responding to growing concern among postal workers and others that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was slow to begin anthrax testing at DC mail facilities following the discovery of a tainted letter on Capitol Hill last Monday. The two sick postal employees, as well as the two who died, all worked at the Brentwood mail distribution center, which handles mail bound for Congress.
"It became quite obvious that members of Congress received a far quicker response than employees of the US Postal Service when we faced this particular crisis," said Rep. Tom Lantos of California, a senior Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee., http://www.100md.com