Impact of Anthrax Lingers Year After Attack

People who were infected with anthrax in the fall of 2001 continued to experience physical and mental health problems a year after the bioterrorist attacks, researchers report.

People who were infected with anthrax in the fall of 2001 continued to experience physical and mental health problems a year after the bioterrorist attacks, researchers report. The symptoms did not seem to be directly related to the anthrax exposure but instead reflected the health problems that often occur in people who have gone through a traumatic experience, an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta told Reuters Health. “These individuals (were) still suffering a year after their infection,” said Dr. Dori B. Reissman of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control said in an interview. There was not a “causal link” between anthrax and symptoms, Reissman said. The anthrax victims had symptoms similar to those who have experienced other types of trauma, including hurricanes, tornadoes and violent personal assaults. The persistence of health problems a year after anthrax exposure demonstrates the importance of providing both physical and mental health care immediately after a traumatic event, according to Reissman. Because “there isn’t a split” between physical and psychological health, we need to “think about integrating systems of care right up front,” she said. In the fall of 2001, there were 22 cases of anthrax in the U.S.–11 by inhalation of anthrax spores and 11 by skin contact with anthrax. Of the 17 survivors, six had inhalational anthrax and 11 had cutaneous anthrax. About a year after the anthrax attacks, Reissman and her colleagues interviewed 15 of the 16 adult survivors. The researchers also reviewed the medical records of some of the victims. People who had been exposed to anthrax reported a wide variety of health symptoms, according to a report in Wednesday’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Some of the most common symptoms included chronic cough, shortness of breath, swelling, pain and memory problems. When the researchers reviewed the medical records of several patients, they could not find explanations for the symptoms. People who had had inhalational anthrax reported more physical symptoms than those who had experienced cutaneous anthrax.Anthrax survivors also reported above-average levels of psychological distress. Eight of the survivors had not returned to work since their exposure to anthrax. The results of the investigation support other studies that have shown that terrorism may cause long-term physical and mental health problems, Reissman and her colleagues conclude. Coordinating psychiatric and physical care may minimize these problems and improve quality of life, the authors advise. (Source: Reuters Health, Journal of the American Medical Association, April 2004)