[cgbg]

How come it's the postal workers, and NOT the recipients of the mail ??????

When a piece of mail goes through the Post Office it goes through a postal sorting machine (anyone want to admit they are a postal worker and explain the process in more detail?) and my understanding is that the machine jostles, shakes, and perhaps squeezes the mail a little.

That would be enough to release highly refined (known to everybody except the FBI as weapons grade) anthrax into the air of the Post Office where air filters can send it all over the place (well, you get the idea).

If a recipient of the letter did not open it or shake it or drop it then their exposure would be less.

[smorgle]

Also heard two details on one of the news channels today. Mail does get squeezed in the sorting process, and at least one of the suspect letters wasn't sealed but was closed loosely with tape ----> lots of spores spreading in the air. Air blowers are used to clean dust from the machines ---> more flying spores. At Brentwood, the blowers are being replaced with vacuums asap.