Anthrax Threat Received; 20 People Quarantined
PERRIS — Twenty people were isolated and underwent decontamination procedures Monday after a Perris School District secretary opened mail and found a letter that claimed the envelope contained deadly anthrax bacteria, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
The letter was addressed to the district’s superintendent and stated, “You’ve been exposed to anthrax,” said Sheriff’s Department spokesman Mark Wasserman.
Eighteen people in the district’s building and two firefighters were quarantined after Monday afternoon’s incident and were decontaminated by a hazardous materials crew, he said. It was not immediately clear if they had been exposed to anthrax--bacteria that, if inhaled, can cause respiratory failure and death within a week.
Last month, a Riverside elementary school teacher received a thank-you card containing a moist towelette and a warning that it contained anthrax.
Similar letters were mailed to three Colorado families in October. The letters turned out to be harmless.
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