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Anthrax Scare a False Alarm, Officials Say
More rigorous testing yesterday showed no signs of anthrax at two U.S. Defense Department mail facilities that were shut down Monday, the Washington Post reported (see GSN, March 15). “The probability is low to very low that we’re dealing with a true health threat,” said William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant defense secretary for health affairs. Indications of anthrax contamination forced the evacuation Monday at a mailroom at the Pentagon and a lockdown at three buildings that house defense workers and contractors in Fairfax County, Va. The U.S. Postal Service also temporarily closed its primary government mail site in Washington, D.C., the Post reported. However, there were no signs of anthrax on more than 70 samples taken from filters, surfaces and equipment at the Pentagon and Fairfax facilities, according to the Post. Investigators suspect that a sample taken last week from the Pentagon might have been contaminated while being tested at a laboratory in Richmond, Va. Antibiotic treatments were being recommended or prepared yesterday for nearly 4,000 people who work at the three sites. People told to take antibiotics should continue to do so until final results arrive, local and federal health officials said. There were continued questions yesterday about the response to the incident, as local and federal officials asked why the Pentagon did not alert other agencies Monday of the possible anthrax incident, even as Fairfax County emergency personnel were responding to the later event, the Post reported. “There is a concern that (the Homeland Security Department), which has a key role in these types of incidents under the incident management system, was not alerted,” said a Bush administration official. “Once alerted, DHS, in coordination with the FBI, [Health and Human Services Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] began initiating a coordinated response with state and local agencies.” “We need to hear what the explanation is,” said U.S. Representative James Moran (D-Va.). Spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Pentagon followed procedure by notifying officials in Arlington County, where it is located. “The department acted very aggressively,” he said. The false alarm, though, will allow the Defense Department “to evaluate our procedures and decide whether or not we can improve them from an incident management standpoint,” Whitman said (Hsu/White, Washington Post, March 16).
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