BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said here last week the public is not at risk for exposure to the anthrax virus by handling any of the supermarket tabloids published by American Media here.
SN it was too early last week to determine if concerns about the anthrax virus were affecting sales of any of the publications. "We won't know if sales suffered till the returns come back in a few days," he said.
The CDC's statement, delivered at a press conference here, followed concerns expressed on a TV interview show that the publications may have been contaminated following the death from the anthrax virus of Robert Stevens, a Sun photo editor. AMI said all employees have been examined by the CDC, prescribed antibiotics and are awaiting test results.
According to the CDC, "We are aware of concerns by the general public about anthrax being transmitted through paper and ink. The public is at no risk of disease from handling printed paper. There is no risk of exposure being transmitted by handling any tabloids or any publications published by American Media."
David Pecker, chairman of AMI, said the building at which Stevens worked "housed only AMI editorial operations and senior management. No printing or shipping of publications was done [there].
"The printing and shipping of AMI tabloids is handled by five plants [operated by Reuben Donnelly, Chicago] around the country, none of which are located in Florida."
Pecker noted that AMI had closed its corporate offices here on Sunday, Oct. 7, "due to health considerations," and AMI subsequently relocated its operations to other offices in South Florida.
