U.S. forces cautioned about anthrax

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, OCT. 14. With a fresh case of anthrax surfacing in Nevada, investigative and health agencies are working on two fronts as the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush, is using every possible occasion to reassure Americans that the Government is on a heightened state of alert.

The fine line that the authorities seem to be walking is between the public's right to know or be informed and setting off the panic button which does not seem to be too difficult in the last three weeks.

The health authorities have been able to narrow down on what caused the problem. Senior officials are saying that the terrorism link cannot be ruled out, until proved otherwise.

The alert is very high not just in the mainland U.S. but in the seas as well - U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea are being cautioned about opening even personal mail.

It all began in Florida with one anthrax exposure that ended in death. Then it was seen as an isolated incident and the suspicion was on natural causes. But with the surfacing of more cases, the Federal Bureau of Investigation finally turned its probe into a criminal one with domestic and international overtones.

In recent days, the authorities have been dealing with the panic surrounding bio-terrorism. Despite all the high-profile appeals of the administration to the American public to go about their businesses, cities are reporting lesser normal activity. And businesses are trying to lure the general public, but with mixed results.

In Washington D.C., the Metro opened its gates for free travel on the weekend, picking up a tab of about $ 600,000; and the area restaurants are having extra freebies like throwing in a glass of wine for dinner. But it seems that all these have not paid off.

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Section  : International
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