Postal Service expands testing of workers for anthrax

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun testing 36 post offices in Washington for anthrax. The expanded search follows confirmation that two postal employees who worked at the Brentwood mail processing plant in Northeast Washington died from exposure to the bacteria. Two other employees at the facility have been hospitalized with inhalation anthrax, and health officials are monitoring several other cases of suspected anthrax.

The 36 post offices where testing is now taking place send and receive mail from the Brentwood plant. Employees from the offices are being instructed to go to D.C. General Hospital to receive a week's supply of Cipro, the antibiotic that is used to treat anthrax infections. "We are bypassing the [screening] and taking the precautionary measure of putting them on the antibiotic," said agency spokesperson Kristin Krathwohl.

Postal employees have been critical of the agency and the CDC for not acting more quickly to test workers at the Brentwood facility for anthrax. They have questioned why congressional staff members were immediately tested and treated after a contaminated letter was found in the office of Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D. Environmental tests were not conducted at the Brentwood facility until several days later, after at least two employees displayed symptoms of anthrax. Postal officials Tuesday said at least 14 areas at the Brentwood facility tested positive for anthrax.

Health officials also confirmed Tuesday that a postal worker in New Jersey contracted inhalation anthrax. She works at a facility that processed at least three anthrax-tainted letters mailed to Washington and New York.

Hoping to protect workers, the Postal Service is evaluating new technology to decontaminate mail. The agency also announced it will begin using vacuums instead of blowers to clean processing machines.

At a press conference Tuesday Daschle indicated that Congress will consider emergency funding for the Postal Service's fight against anthrax. The Postal Service's Board of Governors has initially approved spending upwards of $200 million for capital investment to be used in the agency's anthrax response, but so far it has been unclear where the money will come from.