Nov. 30, 2001
CDC Says Mail Rooms Are Anthrax Free
Six Sites on Foggy Bottom, Loudoun County, and Mt.
Vernon Campuses Test Negative for Anthrax Bacilla
By Thomas Kohout
The University announced six buildings on three of
GW’s campuses have tested negative for traces of anthrax spores,
including the main mail room in the Support Building, two mail rooms
in Ross Hall, and the GW Hospital on the Foggy Bottom Campus; both the
academic building mail room and the student mail room in Ames Hall on
the Mt. Vernon Campus; and the mail room at the University’s Loudoun•Dulles
Technology and Graduate Education Campus. Southern Research Institute,
a laboratory authorized by the Centers for Disease Control to test samples
for the anthrax bacillus, announced its results Nov. 16.
“We selected these sites because they had the
greatest likelihood to get mail directly from the Brentwood facility,”
says Joseph Yohe, assistant director of the Office of Risk Management
and Insurance. The Brentwood postal facility was closed Oct. 21, after
it was determined it had processed a letter containing anthrax bacteria
that was sent to Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle (D–SD).
According to Yohe, Southern Research Institute conducted
the analysis in accordance with methods directed by the CDC. He adds
that the University chose to use an outside environmental consultant,
MasiMax Resources, Inc. to collect the samples from the various sites,
as well as the outside lab because they had more experience dealing
with these substances.
“It was nerve-wracking waiting for the results
to come back,” Yohe says about delays in receiving the results.
“There was a long time frame between when we collected our samples
and when we received the results because the CDC changed its protocol
mid-stream. The whole process was evolving as we were getting involved.”
He explains the CDC switched to polymerase chain reaction analysis,
a more stringent collection and analysis standard.
The University strongly urges members of the community
to continue to monitor the “America on Alert” section of the
GW Web site (www.gwu.edu) for the latest information about the University’s
status, as well as information on “The Awareness, Security and
Preparedness Task Force” at the GW Medical Center, GW Mail precautions,
and University emergency procedures.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
