Very small amount of anthrax contamination was found by Public He...
Very small amount of anthrax contamination was found by Public Health Service (PHS) on counter at FCC’s off-site mail center in Capitol Heights. In fact sheet placed on FCC’s Web site Fri., agency emphasized that contamination, which was found…
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Tues. in routine test, was too small to deliver infectious dose. PHS told agency Thurs. that one of 10 samples tested positive for residual trace of anthrax, apparently resulting from cross-contamination of mail. As precaution, sample was sent to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta for testing and results won’t be available until today (Feb 4). PHS told FCC there was no reason for concern about handling mail already delivered to FCC hq but agency announced it was taking precautionary steps anyway. Those steps, similar to ones taken by Office of Personnel Management when it had positive test results earlier last month, included: (1) All U.S. Postal Service mail delivery to Capitol Heights center has been halted until results come back from CDC. Capitol Heights center is still accepting commercial overnight mail services, such as FedEx and UPS, and hand-delivered mail. FCC’s filing window at 236 Massachusetts Ave. N.E. is still open for hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings addressed to FCC Secy.’s office. (2) Agency’s contract mail employees at Capitol Heights building are receiving preventive antibiotics even though none of them have exhibited any symptoms. (3) PHS physician visited FCC Thurs. to meet with staff. (4) Capitol Heights facility is undergoing decontamination procedures to ensure there weren’t any other small traces there. FCC said it would continue periodic tests with PHS and CDC. FCC spokesman said he wasn’t aware that any comment deadlines were delayed as result of mail halt.