In response to the national anthrax scare, Georgetown is providing testing for campus postal workers and suggesting all students take precautions when opening mail.
In a e-mail sent on Oct. 23, Vice President of Student Affairs Juan Gonzalez urged members of the Georgetown community to exercise caution when opening mail. He said that any suspicious mail should be reported to the Department of Public Safety immediately.
Georgetown University postal workers employed at the Alexandria and Law Center postal facilities have been advised that they should be tested and treated for possible exposure to anthrax.
The Georgetown Medical Center will provide a testing location for postal employees.
According to Gonzalez, although officials have placed the campus at very low risk for exposure to anthrax or any other biological weapons, “we will continue to work closely with the relevant health authorities and monitor this situation carefully.”
Several dialogues have been held to educate the Georgetown community about biological terrorism and its implications. Anthrax and Bioterrorism: What You Should Know focused on the response of the public health system to the threat of biological weapons. It was sponsored by the Student Primary Care Clinic and Georgetown University Hospital’s Division of Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Princy Kumar and Dr. Mary A. Young, both from the Division of Infectious Diseases at Georgetown Hospital, discussed the symptoms of diseases caused by biological weapons and the ways in which victims are identified and treated.
“As a result of the anthrax incidents, the police, FBI, Center for Disease Control and local heath authorities have now established a good working relationship,” Young said. “This relationship will allow authorities to respond in a faster, more effective manner to future cases of bioterrorism.
According to Young, based on information about the parameters of exposure of the disease, authorities determine who needs treatment and then provide antibiotics or more intense medical care.
Antibiotics and vaccines are currently being produced not only to combat anthrax but any other possible biological weapons such as smallpox or plague.
The D.C. area has been equipped with a Push Pack, an emergency response package that contains medical supplies, including the anthrax antibiotic, to treat up to 10,000 people. Although there are only eight of these packs nationwide, more are being produced.
Students are receiving frequent e-mails regarding the ongoing anthrax situation. The Division of Infectious Diseases at Georgetown Hospital is distributing a handout about how to prepare for bioterrorism and has set up a hotline (784-5555) that provides daily updates on outbreaks and treatment.
