World Bank Reports Further Testing of Mail Finds No Anthrax

AP ^ | 5/22/02 | Associated Press

[Jean S]

May 22, 2002

World Bank Reports Further Testing of Mail Finds No Anthrax

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The World Bank said Wednesday that follow-up tests had determined that no anthrax spores were present on mail received by the international lending institution.

As a result of the finding, more than 1,000 employees are to return to work Thursday. They had been working from home since Monday, when a preliminary field test registered what turned out to be a false positive reading for anthrax.

Officials sent the suspect batch of mail to a private laboratory for more extensive follow-up tests, which determined that no live anthrax spores were present.

District of Columbia health officials have complained that both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which also obtained a preliminary positive reading for anthrax on Monday, failed to notify them of those results.

Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said they were working up federal guidelines to prevent unnecessary prescription of antibiotics and needless alarms from preliminary field tests which often produce false positives.

In its statement Wednesday announcing the negative follow-up results, World Bank officials defended the approach they took after the initial positive reading on Monday.

"Management believes it took the necessary steps to provide for the health and safety of bank staff during this period," the bank said. "As soon as the initial test indicated the possible presence of anthrax on Monday, the air conditioning in one building was suspended and as a result 1,200 staff were advised to work from home or other offices."

IMF officials said they were still awaiting definitive lab results.

That agency put 100 employees on antibiotics on Monday. Four World Bank employees also began taking antibiotics before Wednesday's results were announced.

AP-ES-05-22-02 1912EDT