Military

DATE=10/16/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=WHO/ANTHRAX (L-Only)

NUMBER=2-281867

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The World Health Organization says people should not panic over reports of exposure to anthrax. The W-H-O says anthrax, which has been blamed for one death in the United States, is not contagious and is easily treatable if caught early. Lisa Schlein reports from W-H-O headquarters in Geneva.

TEXT: The spokesman for the World Health Organization's Communicable Diseases division says it is important for public health systems around the world to be prepared for possible anthrax cases. But, Iain Simpson says there is no need to panic.

/// SIMPSON ACT ///

Mass hysteria, or panic, is not a sensible response. This is still a very small number of (confirmed) cases and, unfortunately, there are also a large number of cases that are proving to be false alarms. And that, obviously, is very worrying, because people are being scared unnecessarily, and pranksters, and so on, are playing this, too. And that is unfortunate, because this is a serious disease. The important thing is that people must be protected from it, but protected from it from a public health standpoint.

/// END ACT ///

Although a vaccine against anthrax exists, the World Health Organization does not recommend mass vaccinations. It says the effects are unpleasant, and the disease can be easily treated with a number of antibiotics.

However, the world health agency cautions people against taking antibiotics without a doctor's supervision. Mr. Simpson says people who feel ill should go to a doctor or hospital. They should not treat themselves.

/// 2ND SIMPSON ACT ///

It can be dangerous, and also it can increase drug resistance, which is a worrying trend, which W-H-O has been working very hard on. And so, we want to make sure that people trying to protect themselves against one disease, do not actually make themselves, and everyone else, more vulnerable to disease, by allowing drug resistance to increase.

/// END ACT ///

Health officials worry that misuse of antibiotics is leading to an increase in drug-resistant strains of common diseases, such as tuberculosis, meningitis, scarlet fever and pneumonia. Mr. Simpson warns this could happen with anthrax, if people overuse antibiotics as a preventive measure, without medical supervision. (Signed)

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