America's anthrax outbreak spread tonight as a second postal worker was diagnosed with the inhaled form of the infection and investigations opened into two possible anthrax deaths.
The man, who has not been named, is being treated alongside another Washington DC postal worker in a hospital in Virginia for the infection, which is fatal in 80 per cent of cases.
Nine more people are being tested for anthrax, while the deaths are being investigated of two other employees at the same post building where the two men being treated worked. The two infected men and the two dead men worked at the Brentwood mail sorting offices in the American capital.
It was the facility which had handled a letter sent to Mr Tom Daschle, leader of the majority Democrats in the Senate, which had exposed 28 of his staff and police to anthrax spores, although they have not developed the disease.
One of the two men died suddenly this morning at a hospital in Virginia, while preliminary blood tests from the other case had raised suspicions of anthrax being the cause of death.
The developments bring to four the number of cases of inhalation anthrax, which has already killed a British-born journalist who worked in Boca Raton, Florida, where his colleague is being treated for the infection.
A total of 2,200 US postal workers are being tested for possible anthrax exposure and being given the antibiotics.
PA