Posted on 10/23/2001 1:19:54 PM PDT by kattracks
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If confirmed, it would be the first anthrax finding in the Caribbean. Ten people who came in contact with the mail were given antibiotics as a precautionary measure against potential anthrax infection. The official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi as confirming no anthrax contamination had been found in China so far. Two suspicious letters found in Beijing tested negative for anthrax. Sun said a Chinese employee of a U.S. company in Beijing on Oct. 9 received a Falun Gong cult leaflet in an envelope that contained white powder and another company in Beijing on Oct. 16 was sent a letter containing four pills, which also were not anthrax. In the Middle East, Chairman of Liban Post Nassib Husseini in Beirut said four letters containing a white powder have been sent for anthrax testing. Husseini said one was addressed to a "known personality" he did not name. He added precautionary measures had been increased at Lebanese post offices, where employees were given gloves and masks and instructed how to deal with any suspicious letters or boxes. In the port city of Sidon in south Lebanon, a post office was closed for several hours after receiving a suspicious letter addressed to a Sri Lankan maid and containing a bag of white powder, which was sent to a laboratory for testing. In Jordan, the Telecommunications Ministry said it had adopted precautionary measures, including the issuing of gloves and masks to postal workers, in coordination with security forces, to ensure the safety of the mail and postal workers. U.S., Australian and United Kingdom missions in Bangladesh also received letters containing white powder, which were sent for laboratory testing for anthrax. The Australian High Commission evacuated its staff and the British Council office was closed until Oct. 27. Two letters holding white powder received by Iraqi diplomats at the United Nations in New York also were sent for testing. Iraqi Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri's secretary said, "I understand it was nothing serious" but final tests results were pending. In Cairo, Egypt, white powder discovered on a roll of toilet paper in the U.S. Embassy also was tested for anthrax and results were pending. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Inspector General of Police Norian Mai warned anthrax hoaxes have been classified as "attempted murder." He said the police had received "many reports" over the past few days that caused unnecessary panic. On Monday city police headquarters was among sites that received a powder substance in an envelope, along with the United States Embassy and the Australian High Commission. The envelopes received by the police and the two diplomatic missions had apparently been mailed from within Malaysia. The one to the Australian mission was accompanied by a death threat and condemned the country's role in the U.S.-led fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.
By ELLEN BECK, UPI Science Writer
Copyright 2001 by United Press International. |
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"You in the Bahamas? And you got suspicious lettah? Ah, okey fine, bub BYE!"
Michael
Yikes, now that suggests a place i would not want to get cutaneous anthrax.
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