Letter with anthrax found in Chile

The Chilean Government confirmed Monday the presence of anthrax in a letter received from the USA, Reuters reports. Local authorities did not report where they found the envelope or who was the addressee was.

The National Secretary of Health, Michelle Bachelet, said in a statement: "The Public Health Institute confirms that it has detected anthrax in a letter posted from abroad. The envelope did not contain any visible powder." In addition, the functionary advised that around 13 people came into contact with the letter and are now being examined by the Sanitary Authorities in Santiago, the capital of Chile.

The letter was suspected of being sent from Europe, but the sender was located in Florida, USA. This was the first time anthrax was detected in Chile after the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York.