Government officials identified four cases of anthrax in the U.S.—at least two caused by contaminated mail.
As of Tuesday afternoon, in Florida there were two cases of anthrax and one exposure. In New York, there were two cases of anthrax and three exposures. In Washington, DC, the CDC and District of Columbia health officials were conducting an investigation of possible anthrax exposure on Capitol Hill.
There were numerous reports of potential anthrax cases throughout the U.S., and the initial assessment of these cases is made on the state level, according to the CDC.
The nation is on a heightened level of disease monitoring, said a CDC statement. “So there may be more reports of suspect cases. We are going to respond more aggressively to these cases than in the past,” said the statement.
The CDC issued the following warning signals for identifying suspicious packages and letters:
* Excessive postage
* Handwritten or poorly typed addresses
* Incorrect titles
* Title, but no name
* Misspellings of common words
* Oily stains, discolorations or odor
* No return address
* Excessive weight
* Lopsided or uneven envelope
* Protruding wires or aluminum foil
* Excessive security material such as masking tape, string, etc.
* Visual distractions
* Ticking sound
* Marked with restrictive endorsements, such as “Personal” or “Confidential”
* Shows a city or state in the postmark that does not match the return address
In an alert, the USPS said individuals receiving a suspicious package are cautioned to take the following steps:
* Handle it with care. Don’t shake or bump it.
* Don’t open, smell, touch or taste it.
* Isolate it immediately
* Treat it as suspect. Call local law enforcement authorities.
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