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India seemed to be in the grip of anthrax scare, as several 'envelopes with white powdery substance' were reported received in different parts of the country.
One person from Karnataka was diagnosed to be suffering from anthrax infection, state Health Minister Dr A B Malka Raddy said, even as he assured that the health department had been put on top gear to tackle any possible attacks of bio-terrorism.
Seeking to allay apprehensions about the bacterium, Raddy pointed out that anthrax had affected a tribal group in the state as far back as in 1983.
Anthrax was still prevalent in some districts such as Kolar, Mysore, Bangalore rural, Bel Tumkur, Dharwad and Bidar, where sheep and cattle were afflicted, he said.
Spate of anthrax cases in Bombay In Bombay, an envelope containing suspicious white powder was found in the office of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
The envelope was found while the staff was sorting the daily mails, sources said.
The peon, who opened the envelope, was sent for a medical check-up after he reported itching in the nose and eyes.
Five other employees working in the area were also asked to undergo a medical check-up as a precautionary measure, the sources said.
The envelope had been handed over to the Haffkine Institute for examination, the sources added.
The institute was already testing as many as 17 packets for traces of the deadly bacterium.
Earlier, a chemical company handed over to the institute a package received from Karachi that contained white powder.
On Monday, a pharmaceutical factory in suburban Bombay was shut down after it received a packet containing white powder from Egypt, police said.
According to postal officials, several people were refusing to accept junk mail out of fear that it may contain anthrax spores.
On Wednesday, postal employees at the international mail sorting office wore masks and gloves provided by the authorities. Employees at the local post offices too would be provided with protective gear, the sources said.
Scare in Goa In Goa, the secretariat in Panaji, which housed all the ministers and top bureaucrats, was put on alert on Wednesday afternoon after an envelop containing white powder was received.
An employee in the central registry on the ground floor of the one-time Adilshah Palace opened the envelope and the room was immediately vacated.
The police rushed to the spot and the envelope was handed to the health department authorities.
As Goa did not have the necessary facilities, a sample of the powder was been sent to Bombay for further examination.
The employee who had opened the envelope was also sent to the Goa Medical College for examination.
Envelope received at Uttaranchal CM's residence In Uttaranchal, an envelope containing white powder and with 'Laden' written on it in Urdu was received at the residence of Chief Minister Nityanand Swami, police said.
The envelope was found when the chief minister's personal staff was sorting mail on Tuesday evening, they said.
The letter was immediately seized and handed over to the chief medical officer
Agencies
ADDITIONAL LINKS: Bioterrorism - Seven sites on a new global terror What is Anthrax and why is it in the news?
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