posted 10-09-2001 09:34 AM            

http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/31567.htm

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ANTHRAX OUTBREAK

By KEITH KELLY and LARRY CELONA

October 9, 2001 -- An anthrax scare gripped the nation yesterday as a third employee of a supermarket tabloid was said to be exposed - and the FBI probed frightening reports of an odd e-mail from a departing intern about "a little present" that he left behind.
The FBI announced it had taken over the investigation as a possible criminal - or terrorist - attack.

Three employees of American Media, which publishes The National Enquirer and other supermarket tabloids out of Boca Raton, Fla., told The Post that the FBI wants to question a summer intern who left the company recently after sending out an e-mail to employees saying thank you and "I left you all a little present."

A top executive at the company said the intern was believed to be from Sudan and was on an exchange program at a local college.

At the time, no one thought anything of the intern's e-mail, but in the wake of the anthrax scare, employees are now concerned, they said.

The FBI is also investigating a strangely worded letter received by the company that contained a "soapy, powdery substance" in the shape of a Star of David, Newsweek has reported. The letter was handled by two of the people who contracted anthrax, the magazine said.

All employees and people who were in the building in the last 60 days were told to take antibiotics for the next two months to fight off infection.

They were also asked for all their computer passwords so investigators could probe their hard drives.

One employee, 63-year-old photo editor Bob Stevens, died last week of inhalation anthrax, while a second, identified by sources as mailroom worker Ernesto Blanco, was found to have a small amount of anthrax in his nose.

David Pecker, the president of American Media, told The Post that a woman librarian at the office building already being treated for pneumonia tested positive for anthrax exposure, in addition to the other two cases.

Florida health officials said late yesterday that only two people had come into contact with the bacteria.

Health experts say it is extremely unlikely that such a transmission - two men working in separate areas in an office building - could be accidental.

"You have to really, really reach to come up with a scenario where this is unintentional," said Professor Thomas Johnson, the director of the Division of Respiratory Therapy at Long Island University.

The building where the staffers worked - which houses The Globe, The Sun, The Star, The National Enquirer, and Weekly World News - was ordered sealed yesterday.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the Boca Raton case "could become a clear criminal investigation" as the feds dig deeper.

Officials cautioned they have no evidence to suggest a criminal or terrorist act - but they aren't taking any chances.

"We don't have enough information to know whether this could be related to terrorism or not," Ashcroft said.

Officials did not consider foul play in Stevens' death until a test swab on the nostrils of another employee, presumably Blanco, turned up the anthrax bacteria.

Officials said the mailroom worker has not contracted any symptoms of the disease - a very important and encouraging sign.

Hundreds of frightened workers lined up at a Palm Beach County health facility to get tested for the bacteria and receive antibiotics.

Part of their fear stems from news accounts that terror ringleader Mohamed Atta took flying lessons about a mile from Stevens' Lantana, Fla., home. Atta and some of the other hijackers also lived in Florida cities not far from American Media.

"To tell you the truth, I'm terrified," said Globe reporter Felicia Levine.

"We're in an area surrounded by the terrorists, and this is a coincidence? The name of our company is American Media. I'm scared."

Health officials tried to reassure the company and the community, saying there was no public health threat.

"The risk is low," said Dr. John Agwunobi, Florida secretary of health.

Pecker said all the publications had shifted to temporary locations in a rush to put out their next editions, which went to press yesterday.

Employees were also asked to fill out questionnaires explaining how often they came into contact with the photo or mailroom areas, and if they've noticed anything unusual around the building since Sept. 11.

Meanwhile, in New York, Mayor Giuliani said there's no reason to fear an outbreak - but that area hospitals are on the lookout for possible symptoms.

"Given the events of the last four weeks, we now monitor that even more carefully," he said.

Also contributing to this story were Malcolm Balfour in Florida, Brian Blomquist in Washington, Braden Keil and David Seifman in New York. It was written by Devlin Barrett.

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posted 10-10-2001 10:01 AM            

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Investigators believe the anthrax strain that killed a man in Florida was man-made, manufactured at a facility in Iowa half a century ago, sources said.

Investigators stressed that tests confirming that the bacteria strain was manufactured are not complete.

A positive match would mean the strain did not occur naturally and would move the case closer to a criminal investigation

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