12 PhilPost employees pass first test for anthrax

MANILA, Philippines — The 12 employees of the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) who were quarantined on suspicion of anthrax infection tested negative for the disease on first swabbing, the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) said Friday. Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, spokesman for the ATC, said the workers would remain quarantined for further tests. "Sa first swabbing, negative for anthrax ... pero conclusive pa after 72 hours test, so wala pang resulta [On the first swabbing, (they were ) negative for anthrax. To be considered conclusive, we need to wait after 72 hours test], he said. Blancaflor said the anthrax scare tested the Philippines’ response to such situation. Anthrax is an acute infectious disease that can be passed on to humans exposed to infected cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores. PhilPost placed 12 (not 13 as earlier report) of its workers under seclusion after personnel from the United States Embassy on Thursday discovered white powder in an envelope in one of the office’s incoming mail. An inspection by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) showed the letter posed no health threat. Nevertheless, the US Embassy shifted to an "anthrax alert" status to ensure that suspicious letters and parcels would be cleared of anthrax bacteria before being opened. Chief Post Master Renato Endaya said the quarantine employees were assigned at the post office's Lockbox Section where letters, including those intended for the US Embassy's P.O. Box, were being kept. He said the Philpost Inspection Service coordinated with the BFP to conduct a clearing operation at the lockbox room. "What we did was just a precautionary measure. So far we found no letter positive of anthrax bacteria," Endaya said. He said the lockbox room was cordoned off while BFP personnel sprayed chemical to decontaminate the area. “The employees were isolated and asked to take a shower and undergo a disinfection process before they were allowed to leave," the official said. - GMANews.TV