People exposed to anthrax during the deadly mail sabotage attack of 2001 continued to suffer physical and mental problems at least a year later, researchers said Tuesday.
“We found that many of the anthrax-infected survivors continued to report significant health problems, psychological distress, poor life adjustment and a loss of functional capacity one year after the onset of infection,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The agency said it looked at 15 adults who were among those exposed to anthrax in threatening letters sent to two senators and several media outlets in 2001. Five people died in the incidents.
Eight of the survivors had not returned to work when the study ended and those who had inhaled the agent had significantly worse overall health than those exposed only through the skin, the study said.
Long-term effects a mystery
The most common complaints were respiratory tract problems such as chronic cough, fatigue, swollen and painful joints and memory problems, it said. The most frequently reported psychological symptoms included depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior and hostility, it added.
The study, published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, said little is known about the long-term health affects of anthrax infection in such an attack setting, but for those studied “available medical records could not explain the persisting health complaints.”
The authors said studies of people who survived Lyme disease, Legionnaires’ disease and similar problems also have reported persistent and unexplained health problems, and some studies have suggested that post-traumatic stress disorder can play a role.
“Our findings support those of other studies in the United States in which terrorism has led to significant chronic physical and mental health problems,” the report said.
