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Another New Yorker Contracts Skin Anthrax in U.S.
An employee of local newspaper New York Post has contracted skin anthrax, it was confirmed Friday.
The employee called Johanna Huden, who works as assistant to the editorial page editor. The company said she is continuing to report for work and is expected to make a complete recovery.
Huden's work includes opening letters to the editor but "she doesn't recall opening any suspicious letters or packages," according to a company official. Most of the recent anthrax cases in the United States are related to the mail and Huden's is the city's fourth case encountering media companies.
According to the paper's publisher Ken Chandler, Huden noticed a blister on a finger on September 22. She scratched the lesion and it became infected. She was treated with antibiotics at a medical center, and later, when a black sore developed, she visited a physician.
After the discovery of the bacteria at TV network NBC a week ago, Huden reported her symptoms to the city health department, which tested her for anthrax and placed her on the antibiotic Cipro, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Friday afternoon.
An analysis of the lesion came back negative but a blood test came back Thursday night showed that she had contracted anthrax, the mayor added.
He said the building where Huden works is safe and there is no reason to interrupt the work of the Post's employees.
Friday's announcement came after a case of cutaneous anthrax was confirmed Thursday with a woman working in another media company, Columbia broadcasting System. She routinely opens mails for the CBS' anchorman.
Two other cases involved a woman at National Broadcasting Company and a 7-month-old boy of a producer at American Broadcasting Corporation.
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