WASHINGTON — The nation's anthrax scare escalated Tuesday as traces of the deadly bacterium were detected at an off-site mail facility serving the White House and the number of life-threatening infections continued to climb, spurring health officials to immediately begin antibiotic treatments for thousands of postal workers.
White House officials stressed that no anthrax spores had been discovered in the executive mansion itself but said testing was underway on employees who work in the White House mail room and at a remote military facility where White House mail is processed.
"We're making sure that the West Wing, the White House is safe," President Bush said Tuesday. "I'm confident when I come to work tomorrow that I'll be safe."
Bush brushed aside questions about whether he personally has been tested for anthrax, saying only: "I don't have anthrax."
The discovery came as three more postal workers--two in Washington and one in New Jersey--were hospitalized with what is believed to be inhalation anthrax, the most deadly form of the disease.
That would bring the total number of inhalation cases to nine, including seven postal workers. There are three confirmed cases and at least three suspected cases in Washington, Florida and New Jersey. Three other victims have died.
Responding to a request by the postmaster general, Bush ordered the immediate allocation of $175 million to improve safety at U.S. postal facilities.
Officials also confirmed that inhalation anthrax caused the deaths of Joseph P. Curseen, 47, and Thomas L. Morris Jr., 55, both of whom worked at Washington's main mail-processing facility. They advised immediate treatment for thousands of postal employees, contractors and any others who spent time in the Brentwood mail facility, where an anthrax-laced letter to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) was handled.
Detection of anthrax spores at the White House's off-site mail facility focused even more attention on the Brentwood center, which also handles White House mail before it is sent to a military base miles away for security screening. From there, the mail is trucked to the postal facility for additional screening before it is sorted and taken to the White House.
Anthrax spores were discovered on a machine that opens letters at the off-site facility, but no contaminated letter has been found, according to White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. He said environmental samples taken throughout the White House have come back negative for anthrax.
