A COMPLETE HOAX!!!
Apparent hoax causes biohazard scare in Florida
Updated 10/09/01: Thirteen Floridians, including five firefighters, went to the hospital for observation on Sunday after two Hialeah families in the same neighborhood found "mysterious envelopes" containing a white powder in their mailboxes. It was feared the unknown substance might be part of a bioterrorist assault, but authorities said on Monday that a laboratory analysis revealed the powder to be harmless.
False email rumors about a virus or other "lethal substance" arriving at people's homes in the mail have circulated widely during the past few weeks, contributing to a climate of fear leading up to these false alarms. Authorities took no chances, however, cordoning off the block surrounding one of the Hialeah residences and sending in a specially-equipped hazardous materials team to retrieve the mysterious parcel.
A few of the people who came in contact with the powder in Hialeah reported a burning sensation in their throats and difficulty breathing and were diagnosed with low-grade fevers. "There were some effects, but not long-lasting," fire official Lt. Stanley Stark told the Miami Herald. Those evincing symptoms were treated with antibiotics and released after observation.
"That's a sick mind that would want to play that kind of hoax, if that's what it is," said Lt. Stark. Officials urged residents not to panic but said they should report any suspicious packages or envelopes to authorities before opening them.
Similar incidents involving an unknown white powder delivered by mail have been reported in other Florida cities, as well as at the office of Congressman Bob Brady of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Investigations are underway, but so far no biohazardous materials have been found in any of the cases.
Meanwhile, news sources report that investigators trying to track down the origin of the anthrax bacteria that killed a newspaper employee in Boca Raton are following up on reports that a letter received at the paper's offices shortly before the man came down with the disease contained a white powder similar to that described in the Hialeah false alarms. Authorities are now fairly certain the infection was the result of foul play but have not yet ascertained how the bacteria arrived at the location. According to an Associated Press story citing an anonymous law enforcement source, the FBI does not believe the letter to be a likely source of the bacteria.
In a separate incident labeled a probable hoax by authorities, a mail carrier in Lincoln, Nebraska discovered a suspicious package labeled "ANTHRAX" in a drop box last Wednesday. The FBI is investigating.
