中央政府计划寻找10亿美元用于炭疽热药物
WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters Health) - The Bush Administration this week will ask Congress for $1 billion in emergency funds to drastically increase supplies of antibiotic drugs designed to treat anthrax, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said Sunday.
The request will come as officials investigate a growing number of anthrax incidents across the country. As of Sunday, investigators had confirmed four cases of anthrax exposure, three in South Florida and one in New York City, all stemming from contaminated letters mailed to media outlets.
Several more exposures from the incidents are likely but remain unconfirmed. Over the weekend investigators discovered that a letter contaminated with the potentially deadly bacteria had been received at Microsoft, Inc. offices in Reno, Nevada.
Thompson said that he would "go up to Capitol Hill this week" to demand money to enhance national stockpiles of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The drug can treat individuals exposed to anthrax if it is used before symptoms develop.
Public health authorities currently have enough of the drug to treat 2 million people with anthrax for 60 days but say that as many as 10 million more treatment courses are needed.
"There are 2 million. We should have 12 million," Thompson said during an appearance on the ABC talk show "This Week." The federal government has recently stepped up efforts to boost security around its pharmaceutical stockpiles and is attempting to increase the size of the stockpiles themselves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commands eight medical "push packs" complete with vaccines, drugs and other medical supplies for emergency situations. The packs were deployed after the September 11 attacks in New York City and the Pentagon and would be used again in the event of a large-scale biological or chemical attack.
"As of right now we could respond" to a biological attack, Thompson said., 百拇医药
The request will come as officials investigate a growing number of anthrax incidents across the country. As of Sunday, investigators had confirmed four cases of anthrax exposure, three in South Florida and one in New York City, all stemming from contaminated letters mailed to media outlets.
Several more exposures from the incidents are likely but remain unconfirmed. Over the weekend investigators discovered that a letter contaminated with the potentially deadly bacteria had been received at Microsoft, Inc. offices in Reno, Nevada.
Thompson said that he would "go up to Capitol Hill this week" to demand money to enhance national stockpiles of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The drug can treat individuals exposed to anthrax if it is used before symptoms develop.
Public health authorities currently have enough of the drug to treat 2 million people with anthrax for 60 days but say that as many as 10 million more treatment courses are needed.
"There are 2 million. We should have 12 million," Thompson said during an appearance on the ABC talk show "This Week." The federal government has recently stepped up efforts to boost security around its pharmaceutical stockpiles and is attempting to increase the size of the stockpiles themselves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) commands eight medical "push packs" complete with vaccines, drugs and other medical supplies for emergency situations. The packs were deployed after the September 11 attacks in New York City and the Pentagon and would be used again in the event of a large-scale biological or chemical attack.
"As of right now we could respond" to a biological attack, Thompson said., 百拇医药