Local authorities respond to anthrax scare
 PAT KIMBROUGH
 ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
  HIGH POINT – A convenience­store manager found white powder inside an envelope Tuesday with a note claiming that the substance was an­thrax, authorities said.
  Tests,however,indicated that the powder was not the poten­tially deadly material, accord­ing to High Point police.
  Around 9:30 a.m., Wael Selo­boss, manager of the BP gas sta­tion at 1101 E. Lexington Ave., opened a letter at the store that was addressed to an employee, spilling some of the powder on himself in the process.
  The letter contained a note that read, in part, “You shouldn’t treat a woman that way. ... Here’s some anthrax for you,” police said.
  The High Point Fire Depart­ment conducted a field test on the substance, and it did not test positive for anthrax, police said.
  “Since (the letter) was mailed and it went through the screening machine at the mail center in Greensboro, and the fact that anthrax is probably not able to be obtained by just a regular citizen, there’s a pretty good chance it’s not anthrax,” said Lt. Ken Steele, a police spokesman.
  Seloboss was taken to a car wash at the scene by firefight­ers and decontaminated. After­ward, he was dressed in a haz­ardous materials suit and taken to High Point Regional Hospi­tal. Since he had been decon­taminated, he did not require treatment and he was released from thehospital later Tuesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
  In addition to police and fire officials, representatives from the Guilford County Health De­partment, U.S. Postal Service and FBI responded to the scene. Steele said the envelope con­taining the powder had a High Point return address on it, but it did not appear to be valid.
  He said FBI agents on Tues­day questioned the employee to whom the envelope was ad­dressed. “We’re going to keep investigating as far as I know, but we will be in contact with the FBI,” Steele said The letter and powder were turned over to the health de­partment for storage. It was unclear on Tuesday what the substance actually was.
  “We would send it off to be tested if we can develop a suspect, but we’re not go­ing to just test it if we don’t have asuspect,” Steele said
 pkimbrough@hpe.com |888-3531

 



DON DAVIS JR. |HPE
 The BP/Amoco station at intersection of Lexington Avenue and Centennial Street was the scene of an anthrax hoax Tuesday.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Copyright (c)2006 The High Point Enterprise 11/29/2006

INFECTIONS
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 Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacte­rium Bacillus anthracis. There are three ways to become infected: cutaneous (through the skin), gastrointestinal and by inhalation.
  For humans, the source of infection in naturally acquired disease is through contact with infected livestock, wild animals or contaminated animal prod­ucts, including carcasses, hides, hair, wool, meat and bone meal.
  Five people were killed and 17 fell ill as a result of the 2001 anthrax attacks. No arrests have been made. Many anthrax hoaxes followed, often in the form of letters containing white powder.
 SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE