Anthrax exports

2 confirmed test cases of Anthrax in Germany, hundreds of alerts around the world.

There are now two confirmed test cases of anthrax in Thuringia and Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The cases were confirmed by the German Health Ministry on November 2nd. Tests on the letters showed positive results for anthrax.

The sender of the letter tested in Thuringia was from Islamabad, but the letters were stamped in Germany, confirmed by a German Postmark.

Again, a line must be drawn between a confirmed test case and an incidence of confirmation of anthrax in humans, two completely different instances. In the first, tests carried out on suspect material confirm the existence of anthrax spores. These are destroyed and people who have come into contact with the material are given preventive treatment, which is highly efficient.

To date 4 people have died from anthrax, all in the United States of America. However, a wave of panic is sweeping the world as envelopes carrying “a white substance” are sent by people in need of a cheap thrill at the expense of others. In Cuba, President Fidel Castro received 25 letters containing “strange substances” but after testing, these were confirmed to be hoaxes. 116 such enveloped have been received in Cuba in recent weeks.

Around 200 suspect envelopes have been examined in Spain, which after testing all proved negative and in Portugal, analyses to around 380 letters have also shown no signs of anthrax. The Portuguese Civil Protection Service has declared that there is no cause for alarm.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru LISBON PORTUGAL