Your post reminds me of a story I saw a couple of days ago. I've been checking but I haven't seen a follow up on it.
Durban airport anthrax scare
January 16, 2004
By Farook Khan & Bhavna Sookha
An anthrax scare at Durban International Airport last night led to 15 people being quarantined in a special ward at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and the sealing of the administration offices at the airport.
Chemical, forensic and other scientists are trying to find out whether white powder found in an envelope in the mail room at the airport is in fact anthrax.
The 15 people in the offices at the time have been released from hospital observation and put on special medication. Police are investigating the origin of the powder and the envelope.
The affected area has been cleaned and sanitised and people have been allowed back into their offices.
Airports Company Spokesman, Colin Naidoo said the airport went on alert yesterday when the envelope with white powder was found during a routine mail inspection and members of the Ambulance Services, Department of Health, Medical Services, the police and intelligence officers were called to the scene.
"The 15 staff members were isolated and contained in the offices while the authorities conducted their duties.
"Once the staff had made contact with their families, they were taken to hospital for further tests and observations," said Naidoo.
A special ward was prepared and specially trained staff, some wearing protective clothing, were on hand to attend to the patients.
Prof Ronnie Green-Thompson from the Department of Health said that anthrax is a disease that affects cattle but can be transmitted to humans through contact with skin or meat from the affected cattle.
Green-Thompson said if the powder contained traces of anthrax that the people at the airport were exposed to, then, depending on whether it had been inhaled or they come in direct contact with it, they would have to be treated.
Infections
"To reduce further contamination, all people who have been exposed to the anthrax have to have their clothes disposed of to prevent it from spreading," he said.
He also said that infections that are caused by anthrax exposure, like respiratory, cutaneous and gastro-intestinal infections, could be treated by antibiotics.
"They also need not be quarantined. These infections cannot be passed from person to person unless they come into direct contact with the anthrax," said Green-Thompson.
An antibiotic called Ampicillin is used to treat these infections and according to Green-Thompson, it very rarely causes hyper-sensitivity as it is a very commonly used antibiotic.