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Acting
Commissioner Dr. George T. DiFerdinando, Jr. this evening announced
that a mail bin from the Princeton Main Post Office in West Windsor
has tested preliminary positive for a single colony of anthrax at
the State's Public Health Laboratory.
The United States Postal Inspection Service delivered the mail bin
to the state laboratory on October 16; the testing began on October
24 and tonight the bin was confirmed preliminarily positive.
While
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department
of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) does not recommend prophylactic
antibiotics in this situation, Dr. DiFerdinando assured any of the
workers at this facility that the DHSS will assist them in obtaining
antibiotics if they choose to be treated.
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the DHSS, and the CDC be
doing environmental sampling of the facility this evening. The FBI
will be doing crime scene sampling and the DHSS and CDC team will
be gathering epidemiological information.
Based on these results of the environmental sampling at Princeton
Main Post Office, the DHSS will develop a plan of action, in consultation
with the United States Postal Service, the CDC, and the FBI, to
evaluate risk for all postal facilities that receive mail from Rte.
130 mail Processing Facility in Hamilton Township.
According
to the United States Postal Service, the post office was closed
this evening.
The
Department has established a bioterrorism phone line at the Emergency
Operations Center at 609-538-6030 that is open between 8 am and
11 pm until further notice. Hearing-impaired residents with anthrax-related
concerns can contact the New Jersey Relay Center by dialing either
711 or 1-800- 852-7899.The Relay Center will convey the message
to DHSS at 609-538-6030. Information is also available on the website
at www.state.nj.us/health.
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