Despite extensive media coverage of recent anthrax cases, Mainers are not panicking, according to local health officials.
Local hospitals Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital have found that people are not overly concerned.
“To my knowledge we have not had a lot of people contacting us with concerns about anthrax or smallpox,” said Martha Davoli of Maine Medical Center’s Community Relations. “We’ve had a few. But I don’t think we’ve had people asking to be put on antibiotics. We haven’t had people coming in with flu-like symptoms, saying ‘I think I have anthrax . ”
Mercy Hospital officials had similar experiences.
“We haven’t really had people coming in or calling the hospital,” said Eileen Whynot, spokesperson for Mercy Hospital.
She said that Mercy discourages people from getting medication to treat anthrax unless they have serious symptoms.
“The Centers for Disease Control and state epidemiologists are not recommending preventative antibiotic use anyway,” said Whynot. “Unless there was good cause, people wouldn’t be put on antibiotics.”
On USM’s Portland campus, Sherrill Bradsher, clinical director of University Health Services, said she’s found a similar reaction.
“We haven’t really had any students come in to verbalize concerns about either bio-terrorist agent mentioned . more just concerns about the terrorist attacks and their anxiety,” said Bradsher. “At this point we’d try to reassure them that the risk is so remote. It’s probably no different than the national guidelines that have been presented.”
Studies show that anthrax cannot be passed along from person-to-person. Therefore, only people exposed to the source are placed on antibiotics. Once exposed, infection can be prevented with the antibiotics. Chances of survival lessen with delay. There is an anthrax vaccination available but not to the general public.
The Pentagon has ordered its 2.5 million active duty and reserve personnel to get vaccinated before the year 2003.
Once infected, there are a few options. At the moment the drug of choice is Cipro, a drug given to patients when they have pneumonia, gastrointestinal or urinary tract infections. Doctors are attempting to put patients on another drug, doxycycline, an older, less expensive drug that kills the infection, and has more familiar side affects.
The government hopes to save its Cipro supply until it is really needed. Doctors are also concerned that bacteria will build up a resistance to Cipro when it is taken unnecessarily.
Others are concerned about a possible outbreak of smallpox.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that “Smallpox was eliminated from the world in 1977.”
Routine vaccination ended in 1972, so people born after that year are considered susceptible. If people exposed to smallpox are vaccinated within four days of exposure, the severity of the illness can be lessened.
The United States does have an emergency supply of smallpox and anthrax vaccinations and medication.
Contributing Writer Danielle Mulkern can be contacted at: [email protected]