Anthrax Spores Found in U.S. Senate Building

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, December 15, 2001

Anthrax Spores Found in U.S. Senate Building

U.S. officials said on Friday that anthrax spores were found in a fumigated Senate office building and they would begin a new fumigation operation to kill them.

U.S. officials said on Friday that anthrax spores were found in a fumigated Senate office building and they would begin a new fumigation operation to kill them.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials said anthrax was found on nine of 380 sterile gauze wipe samples taken from the office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle at the Hart Senate Office Building.

The Hart building was closed on October 17, two days after an anthrax-laden letter addressed to Daschle was received at the building.

The EPA used chlorine dioxide gas to kill all traces of anthrax at the Hart building two weeks ago. Officials are still awaiting the results of 2,994 test strips that have been sent to university and Army labs for evaluation.

"We had less than 10 that came back positive and those were all pretty much in one area that was always one of the hottest areas," said Richard Rupert, the EPA's on-site coordinator.

Eighteen people contracted anthrax since the anthrax-by-mail attacks began in the U.S. in October, five of them died of inhalation anthrax.

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