Anthrax Talking Points

• The public should remain calm. Anthrax is a threat only to individuals who have been directly exposed to its spores and is not spread from person to person. There have only been four recorded anthrax deaths in the United States between 1976-2001.
• Disease-causing strains of anthrax are not common. Inhalational anthrax is an exceedingly rare disease.
• Washington Hospital Center has a two-pronged response for an anthrax threat. The Hospital Center would provide antibiotics to prevent anyone exposed to anthrax spores from becoming ill. Hospital Center resources would also be modified to manage any epidemic, as we do during the cold and flu season.
• The Hospital Center has increased its stockpile of antibiotics to have enough on hand for treatment. The federal Centers for Disease Control also has a large pharmaceutical stock of antibiotics. The CDC is working with local public health officials and Washington-area hospitals to set up a pharmaceutical distribution system within a 12-hour period if necessary.
• The public should refrain from unsupervised use of antibiotics as a precaution against anthrax because of possible side effects including kidney damage and the weakening of tendons. People who take antibiotics as a precaution can also build up an immunity to the drugs. DO NOT USE ANTIBIOTICS UNLESS INSTRUCTED BY YOUR PHYSICIAN.