The anthrax infections now being reported almost nightly may serve as the best evidence yet that buildings can get sick, that Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) does exist.

For years, SBS has caused extensive controversy across the country. Why? Frankly, some cases seem quite plausible and medically justified, while others appeared to be no more than figments of workers' imaginations.

SBS carries an ever-changing definition. But most scientists and doctors consider SBS to be a situation where building occupants have acute negative health effects that appear to be linked to spending time in a specific building. Yet these health effects cannot be attributed to another cause.

Symptoms often include those plaguing people with allergies -- headaches, dizziness, itchy eyes and runny noses. But since these symptoms are difficult to quantify, employee groups have been known to experience psychosomatic illnesses in buildings that are not actually "sick."

Many real estate owners have refused to believe that SBS ever occurs. But various substances can work their way through the HVAC system, contributing to low air quality in the country's office buildings.

Another trend giving credence to SBS are the cases of black mold in homes throughout the country. Don't believe that black mold can cause health problems? Then just take a look at a family in Foresthill, Calif., which -- reports the Sacremento Bee -- last Valentine's Day burned its house and belongings. Why? Black mold made their kids sick and would have cost $75,000 to remove. And insurance wouldn't take care of the problem. (See: "Sick of mold, they torch home: Illnesses and lack of money lead family to raze ailing dream house in Foresthill," February 15, 2001)

The mold is toxic. What is questionable, however, is how much of a negative effect the different black molds can have on human health.

The same problem continues to plague buildings dubbed "sick" by their workers. Doctors and scientists agree that poor indoor air quality can cause health problems, especially for allergy-sensitive individuals. But can they really make people ill?

For some reason, some of the worst offenders are federal courthouses in Florida. One such building, the Sam M. Gibbons Federal Courthouse in Tampa. The building has for four years allegedly made workers sick. In fact, the 302 workers in the building have three times as much respiratory illness as employees in a Tallahassee courthouse that was designed for health. And they've claimed five times as much SBS. A spate of bursting pipes has created mold problems as well. Courthouses in Orlando, Jacksonville and Ocala allegedly had similar problems.

Possible solutions currently include everything from a thorough cleaning of the building's ducts to a renovation or complete closing.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified more than 107 known carcinogens in modern offices. So what should building owners do to ensure the health of employees working on their premises?

Fortunately, over the last couple of years, new technologies have been developed to help landlords prevent and deal with SBS.

Some of the most cost-effective preventative measures include simple solutions, like increasing ventilation rates and air distribution. Rooms like restrooms, copy centers and printing rooms should be vented to the outside. And by increasing ventilation rates for entire buildings, indoor pollutant levels can be kept low.

Air ducts also should be cleaned and filtered with the best technology available. No, this won't filter out all tiny particles, nor will they solve an acute existing problem -- but air filters can prevent major SBS factors from developing in the first place.

The further we move into the new century, the more trial lawyers are getting interested in SBS cases. And juries familiar with anthrax, black mold and other in-the-news issues surely will have a better understanding of a plaintiff's case than in the past. The best defense for building owners is a good offense.

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