Washington, Nov 08: Initial testing has found no Anthrax in air samples and swabs from a naval mail facility, but five employees were being offered antibiotics for possible exposure. A service spokesman, Cmdr. Conrad Chun, said the navy was awaiting further rounds of testing before reaching a definite conclusion.

A federal law enforcement official also said tests by late last night had "come out negative" and further results were due this afternoon.


Officials closed the navy mail-sorting offices and 11 other post offices in and around Washington on Thursday after an automated alarm and one follow-up test indicated the possible presence of anthrax spores at Anacostia Naval Station.
The post office said that it was reopening two of the 11 closed offices yesterday night and the remainder would be back in service today.

Officials have not located any contaminated mail.

The five workers were being offered the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin as a precaution recommended by the centers for disease control and prevention, Chun said.

An earlier follow-up test on Thursday indicated 138 anthrax spores were present, Chun said, but it was not clear whether they were live spores.

Bureau Report