USS Enterprise Captain Warns Crew
By SUSAN SEVAREID
Associated Press Writer
ABOARD THE USS ENTERPRISE - With fears of anthrax-tainted letters in the United States, the captain of the USS Enterprise warned his crew Saturday to be "extremely careful" with mail received aboard the aircraft carrier.
In an address to the crew over the ship's public address system, the captain said he is urging caution because of the possibility of letters and packages containing biological agents.
"I would ask that you be extremely careful with any mail that you get and do not open any letters or packages that do not have a return address that you recognize as being somebody you know," he said.
"Just be very cautious with the mail," he said.
The USS Enterprise is in the Arabian Sea participating in American bombing strikes on Afghanistan. Though e-mail has been available to its 5,100 crew members since late 1998, long lines still form outside the mail room to pick up letters and packages from home.
On Friday, U.S. authorities said an employee of NBC News in New York City contracted the skin form of anthrax after opening a threatening letter to anchorman Tom Brokaw. It was the United States' fourth confirmed anthrax case in a week.
But officials said there was no known link between the NBC letter and either the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks or the far more serious inhaled form of anthrax that killed a photo editor in Florida last week.
According to a senior medical officer aboard the Enterprise, the ship has plenty of ciprofloxacin as well as other antibiotics to treat anthrax patients.
Anthrax immunizations ceased about a year ago because of production problems, said the doctor who can be only identified as Cmdr. John, a senior medical officer, from Coronado, Calif.
Under Defense Department rules meant to protect families back home, full names are not allowed for any service members except commanders if they agree. Neither the captain nor the doctor agreed to have their full names published.
The skin and inhaled forms of anthrax are caused by the same bacterium. It takes more than 8,000 spores to cause the inhalation form of anthrax. When caught through the skin, anthrax is much less serious.
The doctor also said that despite the hectic, long hours since air strikes began Sunday night, there have been fewer sick calls or calls about injuries on the job.
He said there also have been fewer calls to bring people home from duty for medical emergencies, something he attributed to people "placing their priorities."
"I think people are looking at what they're doing and the importance of what they're doing," he said.
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