BOCA RATON,, Fla., Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Federal, state and local officials Thursday focused on the mailroom at the Boca Raton, Fla., headquarters of supermarket tabloid publisher American Media Inc., in their investigation of three cases of anthrax as prescriptions for antibiotics flooded south Florida pharmacies.
Sources told United Press International the investigation is concentrating on the AMI mailroom. All mailroom employees are being reinterviewed, some more than once.
A third case of anthrax exposure discovered Wednesday was 36-year-old Stephanie Dailey, who said part of her duties included the mailroom. The second person diagnosed as exposed to the pathogen also worked in the mailroom.
Dailey said: "I just want to say I'm fine. I went to work today. I was shocked at first, but then I said let's move on and see what I have to do to get better."
She said she would have to take an antibiotic for 60 days and expected to be fine.
"I have faith in God and believe everything will be okay,' she said.
The first reported case of anthrax was Robert Stevens, 63, who worked for the Sun as a pictures editor. He died Friday of the infection. The second involved mail-room employee Ernesto Blanco, 73. An anthrax spore was found in his nasal passages but he is expected to recover.
U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis said the investigation is dealing with the basics of how the anthrax got into the building, who did it and why. Agents continued to go over the building, room by room, Thursday looking for more anthrax and more evidence.
"We have a lot of leads to check out. We have a lot of things on our to-do list," said FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela.
She said all FBI agents investigating scene are taking antibiotics as a preventive measure.
Law enforcement officials have not ruled out an early report that a letter, containing a powdery substance that may have included anthrax spores, was delivered to the mailroom and subsequently to Stevens.
The postal workers union in Miami filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Postal Service Thursday. The suit would seek an embargo against incoming international mail and a ban on protection for postal workers against biiological and chemical terror including anthrax.
The suit also named President Bush; and Tom Ridge, the director of homeland security.
The suit says workers are ordered to inspect packages without opening them, but told they may not wear protective gloves or masks.
Judy Johnson, president of the Miami local, it is not true that the Postal
Service cannot stop people from sending anthrax through the mail.
"You can use the same equipment, spend the money wisely, as they did at the airports, to sniff out with a special piece of equipment the mail that goes through -- at least for hazardous material," she said.
"And they can stop telling unqualified clerks and letter carriers who have to deliver this type of mail to be their guinea pigs so to speak to shake boxes without gloves, denying that they have the right to use protective equipment," Johnson said.
Nearly 800 tests from swabs taken from employees and visitors to the American Media building in Boca Raton have been returned with only the single positive result, that of the 35-year-old woman. Officials waited for results from about 300 more tests.
The employees are being treated with the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, marketed as Cipro by Bayer AG in West Haven, Conn. Dr. Bradley Perkins, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said they were treated with a 15-day course of drugs because that early in the investigation, doctors did not want to commit them to the recommended 60-day course.
He said the shorter prescriptions were not because of any national shortage. "There are more than sufficient antibiotics in the national pharmaceutical stockpile for a complete course of treatment," he said.
Ellena Friedman of Bayer, told UPI Cipro should be taken as a post-inhalation anthrax treatment, "not as a prophylactic (preventive) treatment." She added, however, such decisions should be made between patients and physicians and that Bayer is able to meet the demand.
She said Bayer would increase production of Cipro, reopening a production facility in Germany, as a buffer to ensure supplies are adequate, by Nov. 1
Locally, it was another story.
Walgreen's pharmacy, based in Deerfield, Ill., said there has been a run on the drug in South Florida, from Palm Beach County south.
"It's been a substantial increase, to the point of some of our stores running out of medication," said Michael Polzin of Walgreens.
Ira Grotus of Community Pharmacy of Boca Raton said the rush on the drug presented a dilemma.
"Where do you draw the line? I have legit patients with legit needs, and I also have people in a panic," he said. "One pharmacist I talked to said it best: 'How do we play God?'"
One drug store in Miami reported selling a family 420 Cipro tablets for nearly $2,000. Cipro normally costs between $4.50 and $5.50 per tablet.
Rick Curran, spokesman for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, told UPI while Cipro is on the insurer's formulary of covered drugs BCBS is recommending to its physicians "not to be prescribing it for prevention."
He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is expected shortly to issue guidelines to physicians on prescribing Cipro but BCBS believes its efficacy has not been shown in preventing anthrax infection, only in treating it.
Walt Cherniak, a spokesman for Aetna US Healthcare in Washington, said Cipro is a covered drug in the health insurer's formulary. He said there are no restrictions on paying for preventive prescriptions of Cipro.
"If they come to the pharmacy with a prescription, we'll pay for it," Cherniak said.
Medical ethicist Kenneth Goodman at the University of Miami said the run on the medication should be stopped.
"It is clearly irrational to request it and nearly as irrational to provide it," he said.
The Internet has complicated the situation, offering on-line consultations with physicians to get prescriptions through the Web.
"Fight Anthrax. Get Cipro NOW! The Threat is Real. Don't Delay!" warns Pill Warehouse, an online pharmacy. "Stock up now while supplies last worldwide!" urges MultiRx.
Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan visited scene with Palm Beach County Commission Vice Chair Carol Roberts.
"There is a great deal of concern, but that is based on the fear of the unknown," Brogan said. He had praise for how well all the various law enforcement agencies were working together.
Roberts said "I believe everything is being taken care of appropriately."
