USD Magazine, Winter 2002

ON THE FRONTLINES OF GERM WARFARE

Graduate Tracks Deadly Anthrax in Nation's Capital by Krystn Shrieve

S hrouded in a hooded haz-mac jumpsuit, Ann Dell inger '82 relied on her respiracor and training as a biologist as she gingerly made her way through che deserted federal building, searching for spots where an innocent-looking lener may have shed deadly anthrax spores. For cwo weeks in Occober, as che nation reeled from news chat the bacteria was being delivered through the mail, che epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta exam– ined government buildings, calculating the routes of contaminated leners and determining where anthrax may have escaped. The dangerous detective work was anything but routine for the 41 -year-old biology graduate, whose eight-year career with che CDC, where she works in injury prevention, usual ly means poring over mocor veh icle accident records or analyzing daca on injuries caused by natural d isasters. "I had about four hours co gee home, gee packed and get co the airport," says Dellinger, who is not allowed co discuss the specifics of her team's investi– gations. "I was pare of a second wave of staff co be sent co the Washingcon, D.C., area. I had no idea how long I would be gone." On call for emergency investigations for the next year, Dellinger is part of a team in charge of design– ing environmental sample plans, blueprints char help ocher CDC teams trained in handling hazardous materials determine where co collect anthrax samples. "This requires basic, shoe-leather detective work such as determining how mail enters a building, che route it follows and its method of distribution once inside che building - whether it's delivered in bas– kets or carts or by hand," says Jana Telfer, associate direccor for communications at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. To dace, approximately 250 CDC experts have been called upon co investigate possible or actual anthrax cases in seven scares and che Washington, D.C., area. As of December, there have been 18 confirmed cases and five an chrax-relaced deaths. Dellinger was chosen co participate in the anthrax investigations based on experience. She previously studied injuries co rescue workers following the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in

Oklahoma, and injuries caused by floods and mocor vehicle accidents in various states. She had co research anthrax intensely before boarding the plane co Washingcon, arming herself with basic knowledge - anthrax is not con tagious; catching che disease requires direct exposure co a sig– nificant quantity of spores; severity of che illness depends on the type of anthrax contracted and how quickly it is identified; and antibiocics can successful– ly rreac the disease.

Ann Dellinger '82 tracked anthrax-laced letters.

"Even though I work in injury prevention, I work at the CDC, so people ask me questions on just about any kind of health problem," Dellinger says. "I figured my mother was going co ask me questions (about anthrax) chat I wanted co be ready for." Dellinger says when she heard abo ut che ini tial anthrax incidents, she felt a combinatio n of shock, disappointment and anger, but says she is always ready co do her job. "The world has changed in ways I couldn't have imagined," Dellinger says. "Biological weapons have been used against us, something char wouldn't have seemed real istic just a short while ago. I'm graceful chat I have the opportunity co help. " +

13

WI N TER 2002