NEW YORK, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A second case of cutaneous anthrax was suspected at the New York Post after a mailroom employee developed flu-like symptoms and a sore on his finger consistent with skin anthrax, Wednesday. If confirmed it would be the second case of anthrax at the Post.
The Post employee, who has not been identified, was hospitalized, tested for anthrax and treated with antibiotics, the Post said in a statement. The results of the anthrax test is not yet available but the employee is expected to make a full recovery, according to city officials. If anthrax is confirmed, the source of the exposure is not known.
An unopened letter addressed to "Editor, New York Post" that said "Take penacilin (sic) now. Death to America. Death to Israel. Allah is great," is believed to be the source of anthrax exposure of another Post employee who has tested positive for anthrax last week.
"The Department of Health and FBI are conducting a full investigation of our workplace," said New York Post publisher Ken Chandler. "They have traced the path of the suspicious letter and identified all who may have come in contact with it."
Meanwhile, CBS news anchor Dan Rather said he hasn't been tested for anthrax and he isn't taking antibiotics even though his assistant contracted the skin form of anthrax in his office because it's his way of "defying the terrorists."
"We're not going to run scared and we're not going to work scared," Rather said. The news anchorman said he has shown no flu-like symptoms but that's he consulting his doctors and they have advised him against antibiotics.
One of the most haunting images from the Sept. 11 attacks was the cell phone calls from people on the top floors of the World Trade Center telling their loved ones and fire dispatchers that they were making their way to roof to be rescued by helicopters, but that the doors to the roof were locked. Some also said when the roof doors were found locked and they attempted to return to their floor, the hallway doors were also locked, trapping them in the stairwell.
New York City Mayor Giuliani explained that the fire plan for the Twin Towers was for people to take the stairs and move down. He said he asked Fire Department Chief Peter Ganci if a rescue using helicopters off the roof was possible. The chief, who died in the collapse of the first tower, told him the fire and smoke were too intense to risk a rescue using helicopters, the mayor said.
Some of the World Trade Center workers on the top floors of the towers were convinced that helicopters would come because during the 1993 terrorist attack police helicopters did perform a rescue from the roof, however, police helicopters were told to stay away from the burning towers on Sept. 11.
Port Authority officials said that it was policy to have the doors to the roofs locked to avoid vandalism to the communications equipment, cell phone equipment, television and radio antennae and Federal Aviation Administration navigational equipment and that the buildings' fire plan did not include the roof.
The mayor, who led a pep rally outside City Hall for the New York Yankees as they prepare to defend their World Series title against the Arizona Diamondbacks that begins Saturday opened the door to having a parade in the Canyon of Heroes if the Yankees should win the series.
However, Giuliani said he recognized that some may feel that a victory parade held one block from where more than 5,000 died in the World Trade Center attacks may not be appropriate. On the other hand, he said some may think it would be the best demonstration that "New York City is back."
Giuliani said that all of Broadway was open to traffic for the first time since the attacks and that it "would make it more possible to have a parade there now." However, the mayor said he's very busy dealing with the city, that he doesn't want to jinx the Yankees by talking about the outcome of the series but that the Yankees were the only thing that took his mind off the Sept. 11 attacks.
The mayor has made a series of bets with politicians in Arizona on the outcome of the World Series. Bets on the Yankees are something in which the mayor has a lot of experience. The Yankees have won five series in the last six years. While some city officials like to bet a favorite food or drink but Giuliani and Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, have each bet a horse. The mayor said if the Yankees win he will donate the horse to the city.
(Reporting by Alex Cukan in Albany, N.Y.)
