158 suspected ‘anthrax’ mail undergo DOH tests

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — A total of 158 mailed letters, suspected to contain anthrax, have been forwarded since Oct. 16 from all over the country to the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Center for examination.

Dr. Ernesto Bontuyan, in charge of investigating possible anthrax-by-mail cases in the country, said 139 of the letters are being tested for possible anthrax contamination by the DOH’s Research Unit for Tropical Medicine in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

"It will take time before we can make a categorical announcement on whether any of the letters are contaminated since we want to check and double-check," he said, adding though that anthrax-by-mail attacks in the country is "highly improbable."

Bontuyan earlier met with police officials to map out plans in case biological attacks via the mail happen in the country.

He, however, echoed the views of police officials that such incidents, which have triggered fears in the United States, are highly improbable "since we are not a high-profile country."

The DOH’s regional offices forward mailed letters suspected to contain anthrax to the Epidemiology Center in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Cecille Lopez, a nurse at the center, said the recipients of these letters could have been merely carried away by the anthrax scare sweeping the US.

She said one of the 158 letters, which contained a powdery substance, was sent to a school principal in Metro Manila, with US President George Bush indicated as sender.