The September 11th attack
Hawai'i has drugs to treat anthrax

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i has a large supply of antibiotics to treat anyone exposed to anthrax, and additional doses could be acquired from the Mainland quickly, according to the state's top bioterrorism response planner.

"The public should be very calm about it," said Dr. Laurence Raine. "I see us as very well covered."

Health officials recognized long ago that Hawai'i's isolation required it to be more self-sufficient than other states in preparing for outbreaks of disease, he said.

But it makes little sense to hoard huge amounts of antibiotics, because they are expensive and have a limited shelf life.

More than a dozen people in four states have contracted anthrax or been exposed to the disease through contaminated mail. Officials do not know whether the cases are related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Anthrax cases have not been reported in Hawai'i, but in recent days authorities have responded to numerous reports of suspicious mail or powder — evidence of how jittery residents are about the possibility of contamination.

Raine said the state Department of Health had been inundated with calls from people describing far-fetched rumors and worries about the disease. "People have a concern because they really don't understand it," Raine said. "They're afraid, and I understand where they're coming from."

Anthrax is an acute bacterial infection of the skin, lungs or gastrointestinal tract, and can be fatal. But the disease is curable and can be prevented through inoculation. Most experts do not believe it can spread from person to person.

Humans can be infected by breathing large amounts of microscopic spores, touching contaminated material or eating tainted food. Symptoms of the disease include fever, difficulty breathing and exhaustion.

The United States has enough medicine to treat 2 million cases of anthrax, a supply the Bush administration wants to expand to treat 12 million victims.

For security reasons, Raine would not reveal the amount of anthrax medication available in Hawai'i. But he said the state's policy is to keep a supply that could cover an emergency for 72 hours or more.