- WASHINGTON (CNN) - A postal
facility in the nation's capital that handled mail laced with anthrax was
"terribly contaminated" with the deadly bacteria, even worse
than authorities first believed, federal health officials said Thursday.
The extent of the contamination at the Brentwood postal facility was determined
by additional tests at the now-closed site after four workers there developed
inhalation anthrax. Two of them died.
"The contamination was even more widespread than had initially been
thought to be the case," said Dr. Rosemary Sokas, associated director
of science at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She said the anthrax spores had spread further within the building than
expected and that the "intensity" of the contamination was stronger
as well.
Authorities believe the anthrax spores spread throughout the building with
the use of a compressed air machine that had been used to clean equipment.
The Postal Service has since stopped using such cleaning equipment.
Authorities have found two tainted letters that passed through the Brentwood
facility: one sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and another sent
to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
The Daschle letter was opened in his office in October, but the Leahy letter
was found by authorities in a barrel of quarantined mail and opened in
a military lab.
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