-Caveat Lector- Distinguishing inhaled anthrax from colds, flu
Copyright � 2001 AP Online By DANIEL Q. HANEY, Associated Press (November 2, 2001 9:53 a.m. EST) - Doctors have a new clue to help sort out whether people with coughs and aches have the ominous first signs of inhaled anthrax or ordinary colds and flu: Anthrax victims don't have runny noses. In general, the first symptoms of inhaled anthrax are the same as the flu and other wintertime viruses - fever, ache, cough, no energy. As a result, some worry that doctors will prescribe lots of anthrax-killing antibiotics - which do nothing for colds and flu - just to make sure they don't miss a case of anthrax in its early, treatable stage. Symptoms of nasal congestion or runny nose have not been reported in the inhaled anthrax cases so far. Those symptoms, of course, are common in flu and many other viruses that cause wintertime respiratory ills. So asking about it can help doctors rule out anthrax. The possible overuse of antibiotics worries officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which on Thursday offered some guidance for doctors who wonder how to tell which is which. "We will do everything we can to help clinicians sort this out," Dr. Julie Gerberding said. No test will reveal anthrax exposure or predict who might develop anthrax in the near future. Nasal swabs, if given soon enough, can help show whether anthrax was present in a particular location, but they do not tell doctors anything about an individual's risk. So far, the single most important information is the patient's job. Doctors should be suspicious if patients are postal workers or handle mail, especially in areas where anthrax has been found. "I can't emphasize enough the importance of the clinical history of the occupation and the environment in which the person works," Gerberding said. White cell counts also may be elevated in anthrax cases, Gerberding noted. These readings are likely to be normal or below with viral infections. However, no single sign or symptom can reveal whether someone has early inhaled anthrax. Antibody levels eventually rise, but that occurs late in the infection, after treatment already should have begun. "We don't want everybody coming in with the flu to get an antibiotic," Gerberding said. Dr. Frederick Hayden, a flu specialist at the University of Virginia, estimated that 60 percent of flu cases involve runny noses, and the figures are even higher for most other common respiratory viruses. "The dilemma will be sorting out the extremely rare case of inhalation anthrax from this massive background of respiratory viral infections," he said. Some doctors have promoted the use of flu shots this year because they will reduce the frequency of symptoms that can be confused with anthrax. However, many are skeptical about this reasoning. They note that perhaps 90 percent of wintertime flu-like illnesses are cause by neither the flu nor anthrax. So even those who get flu shots may still come down with flu-like symptoms from other viruses. "We really don't want to sell the idea that if you get vaccinated against the flu ... and if you do develop a flu-like illness, then you ought to be more worried about anthrax," said Dr. Keiji Sukuda, a CDC flu expert. The best reason to get a flu shot, he said, is to avoid the flu. To help doctors figure out how to recognize and treat anthrax, the CDC on Thursday held its second conference called "Anthrax, what every clinician should know." The conference will be rebroadcast on the Internet at 5 p.m. Monday. Medical Editor Daniel Q. Haney is a special correspondent for The Associated Press. Steve Wingate, Webmaster ANOMALOUS IMAGES AND UFO FILES http://www.anomalous-images.com <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
