Q: Should Americans be concerned about anthrax and other agents of germ warfare?
A: The unfolding stories regarding anthrax exposure and contamination in Florida, New York and Washington have consumed the nation’s attention just a few short weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on America. Although no hard evidence to date has linked the suicide hijackings with the tainted letters containing anthrax, legitimate suspicion certainly exists and authorities are working hard to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. So far the threat for exposure to anthrax has affected media outlets, government offices and postal service buildings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the risk for individual Americans to contract anthrax is remote and says the best protection against the disease is by learning more about it and exercising caution. For starters, anthrax is not contagious. In fact, individuals either must come in direct skin contact with the spores or inhale or ingest the particles to become infected. Fortunately, highly effective treatment exists to protect those who have been exposed. But the CDC warns against Americans from hoarding antibiotics or taking the medicine as a pre-emptive measure. Instead, Americans are asked to handle their mail with extra care and to contact local authorities if a suspicious letter or package arrives in your mail box. Meanwhile, the federal government is stepping up its efforts to prepare for the security of American citizens should terrorists try to unleash more works of evil via anthrax or other agents of germ or chemical warfare. The administration has warned Congress and public health authorities that other possible biological weapons in a terrorist’s arsenal may include smallpox, tularemia or rabbit fever, plague, botulinum toxin and viruses that cause a range of hemorrhagic fevers from Ebola to Lassa fever.
Q: Why did you recently contact the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Customs about on-line pharmacies?
A: Upon learning that a good number of Internet sites had opened up shop to peddle possibly fake anthrax-fighting remedies, gas masks and other "life-changing" products, I wrote the FTC and U.S. Customs Service to aggressively pursue those suspected of selling counterfeit antibiotics on-line and to expedite appropriate referrals for prosecution within one month. Illegitimate purveyors of antibiotics used to treat anthrax ought to be ashamed that they are capitalizing on the fears of ordinary Americans. Three drugs are used to treat anthrax — ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and penicillin. The Food and Drug Administration urges consumers not to stockpile these drugs or to take them without proper direction from a health authority. Beyond suffering possible side effects, consumers taking antibiotics for the sake of "prevention" risk developing resistance to the medicine. From my position in the U.S. Senate, I’ll continue my efforts to empower Americans through education and better public awareness. That includes my oversight of federal agencies to ensure they are pulling out all the stops to safeguard the public’s health, safety and security.