Seventh Skin Anthrax Case Confirmed in New York

New York officials on Friday confirmed a new case of skin anthrax at the tabloid New York Post, which is the seventh citywide. The Post employee is taking antibiotics and has not missed a day of work since discovering the lesion last week, mayor Rudolph Giuliani told reporters.

The patient noticed the lesion on his back on October 23 after he had been going through old mail, some of which dated back to September, Giuliani said.

The skin anthrax is the less deadly form of the disease. All seven cases in the city linked to news outlets, including three major television networks, namely CBS, NBC and ABC.

One inhalation anthrax patient, by the name of Kathy Nguyen, died Wednesday, becoming the fourth fatality of the most deadly form of the disease in the United States.

The 61-year-old lady worked at a New York hospital, falling victim of anthrax in a workplace not belonging to a news outlet or a postal service.

Investigators have made little progress in their probe into how she contracted anthrax, Giuliani said.

There have been about 20 anthrax cases nationwide since early October. Places where the cases have been found include Florida, New York, New Jersey and Washington.






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