|
Case 2 CONFIRMED |
|
| Characteristics | 38-year-old woman, employed by NBC (assistant to Tom Brokaw) |
| Onset date | September 25, 2001 |
| Medical care date | October 1, 2001 |
| MMWR date | 50 (41), Oct. 19, 2001, 50 (42), Oct. 26, 2001 |
| Location | Manhattan, New York City |
| Probable source | Letters postmarked September 18 |
| Disease type | Cutaneous anthrax |
| Details | Between September 19 and
25, she handled a
suspicious letter postmarked September 18 at her workplace. The letter was
not found until October 12 when it was sent to the New York City Department
of Health for testing, confirmed to contain B.
anthracis. On September 25, the patient had a raised lesion on the
chest, which over the next 3 days developed surrounding erythema and edema.
By September 29, the patient developed malaise and headache. On October 1, a
clinician examined the patient and described an approximately 5 cm long
oval-shaped lesion with a raised border, small satellite vesicles, and
profound edema. The lesion was nonpainful and was associated with left
cervical lymphadenopathy. Serous fluid from the lesion was obtained and was
negative by gram stain and culture. The patient was prescribed oral
ciprofloxacin. Over the next several days, the lesion developed a black
eschar, and a biopsy was obtained and sent to CDC for testing. The tissue
was positive by immunohistochemical staining for the cell wall antigen of
B. anthracis. Treated with ciprofloxacin and clinical improved.
|
| Death date | Not applicable |
