The threat of biological terrorism by post spread to Africa yesterday when the Kenyan Minister for Health confirmed that a letter posted from the US had tested positive for anthrax. Another two letters, one sent to a UN agency, were also being tested.
It is the first case of attempted anthrax contamination outside the US since the September 11th attacks.
The Minister, Mr Sam Ongeri, told reporters that the letter was sent from Atlanta on September 8th, passed through Miami and arrived in Nairobi on October 9th, before being opened two days later. It contained pieces of cloth and a white powdery substance, which after testing was shown to contain anthrax spores.
He declined to identify the recipient of the letter, although one ministry source suggested it was a Nairobi doctor. The man and four family members have been tested for anthrax but were "not in danger", the Minister said.
Ten staff members at the UN Environmental Protection Agency (UNEP) were on a preventive course of antibiotics yesterday after a suspicious letter was received at the organisation's press office on Wednesday. The letter had been posted in Pakistan.
Alarm bells were raised when staff detected a powdery substance inside, said Mr Tore Brevik, a press officer and one of those affected. "It was in a brownish-grey envelope, a little tattered and worn, and had handwriting in blue ink that was strange to us."
The word "immaculate" was written in the place where the stamps should have been affixed, he added. The letter was not opened and passed on to the Kenyan Medical Research Institute for analysis and results were expected late yesterday.
UNEP director Mr Klaus Toepfer said he had told staff "not to be paralysed" by the threat. "We have our responsibility to do our job in this world of tensions and of terrorism." Nonetheless UNEP and other UN agencies implemented strict new rules for sorting incoming mail.
Meanwhile, there were anthrax scares in many other countries, but no confirmed cases. In Germany there were a number of alerts - including a letter sent to the environment minister - and police arrested several people. There were also alerts in Japan and South Africa, while in Paris the mailroom at the lower house of parliament was closed off.