Some worry about germ warfare at home

Norman Williams has owned a gas mask since he was 15, but he never thought he'd need it.

These days, the Fruitland, Mo., resident isn't so sure.

"Certainly it seems more of a possibility," said the 57-year-old former Florida law enforcement officer on Friday. "What have there been now, four cases of anthrax?"

On Friday, it was announced that a female aide to NBC anchor Tom Brokaw was infected with anthrax after opening a letter with white powder inside, which was the fourth known case of exposure to the rare and potentially deadly bacterium in less than a week.

A second NBC employee had possible symptoms of anthrax, health officials said Saturday. In Florida, five more employees of The Sun supermarket tabloid tested positive for exposure to anthrax, but none showed any symptoms.

The FBI is investigating whether the cases are linked to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. There have been reports from across the country of bomb and anthrax scares, along with unconfirmed reports of additional letters containing powder in other cities.

Coupled with a strong warning from the FBI about a possible terrorist attack sometime in the United States during the next few days, the reports are leaving Southeast Missouri residents shaken. Many are changing the way they live, becoming keenly alert to their surroundings, sensitive to anything out of the ordinary and addicted to the news.

And some are becoming survivalists, planning for a terrorist attack in this area.

"Certainly people are scared," Williams said. "Isn't everybody? Everybody I know is worried about it."

Gas mask gouging

Williams works at Big Foots in Fruitland, which sells guns, survival gear, fishing equipment and -- until recently -- gas masks.

"We've got two left and we're not going to get anymore," said Big Foots owner Paul Page. "The prices have gone up so high, I'm not going to pay it. Then I'd have to raise my prices, and I'm not going to gouge people. I'm just not."

Since Sept. 11, Big Foots sold more than 40 gas masks, most costing between $40 and $60.

"If I had 40 more, I'd sell those, too," Page said. "But you just can't find them. You can't order them." Page said gas masks are going on the Internet for as much as $300.

He has been fielding dozens of phone calls a week from anxious residents wanting to know what they need to do to be prepared for the worst. He tells them to prepare like they would for any disaster.

"I tell them to get a standard 72-hour emergency kit together, you know, your flashlight, batteries, battery-powered radio and foodstuffs," he said. "Just like the Boy Scouts: Be prepared."

Ron Ludwig owns Tuff Times Pawn and Gun in Perryville, Mo. He said he hasn't been able to restock his gas mask supply, either.

"The government's doing a pretty good job, but they ought to make these things available for people," he said.

Dr. Theodore Grieshop, an infectious diseases physician in Cape Girardeau, said he gets asked about anthrax two or three times a day.

"A lot of people are talking about it, asking questions about it," Grieshop said. "They want to know what to look for, what antibiotics are effective."

And Cape Girardeau Public Health Center communicable disease coordinator Vicky McDowell said the center had received more than 50 calls about anthrax last week.

In the pulmonary form, infection occurs by breathing in anthrax spores, Grieshop said. Infection can also occur through broken skin. Anthrax infection results in pneumonia, rapidly causes respiratory distress, and can lead to death. Grieshop said that inhalation anthrax is rare.

"We haven't had a case of anthrax in Missouri in 10 to 15 years," he said. "So far, it's a case of curiosity. But with everything going on, I think there is certainly a heightened interest."

Gun sales steady

There are signs most people are remaining calm, however. Cipro is an antibiotic that has been approved by the FDA for people who have been exposed to inhaled anthrax. Jim Crain, the owner of the Medicine Shoppe in Cape Girardeau, said he hasn't received any calls from customers wanting it.

Spokeswomen from both Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center said they have not received calls about or treated people for anthrax of any sort.

"We're educating ourselves to the issues, of course. Everybody is," said Sally Owen with Southeast Hospital. "But at this point, it's just been business as usual."

Maria Swan of St. Francis Medical Center said they haven't had any cases either.

"But I do think people are frightened," she said.

And, unlike when the supposed Y2K computer glitch prompted survivalist behavior two years ago, people are not stocking up on guns.

"Most of the people who want guns already have guns," said Dan Beard of Beard's Sport Shop in Cape Girardeau. "I haven't seen much of an increase. I talked to some of the other stores, and they haven't either."

Big Foots and Tuff Times both sell guns, and their owners said they hadn't been selling more lately.

"The idiots have not come out of the woodwork like people would think," Page said.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137