No Anthrax Discovered in County Despite Scares

Despite a series of recent evacuations at court and postal facilities, no anthrax spores or infections have been discovered in Los Angeles County, health officials said Thursday.

Dr. Jonathan Fielding, the county’s health officer, said his office has reviewed “large numbers of incidents over the last several weeks . . . but there have been no positive findings of anthrax.”

Several adjoining offices on the first floor of the county’s civil courthouse at 1st and Hill streets were closed for more than two hours Thursday morning after a woman brought a letter from home from which powder had spilled.

After examining it, hazardous-material officers from the Los Angeles Police Department found nothing toxic, Sgt. Dave Demarco said.

David Mazer, manager of public affairs for the U.S. Postal Service in Southern California, said that in recent days there have been anthrax scares at the agency’s bulk mail facility in Bell, its airmail facility near Los Angeles International Airport, and in the Industry and Miracle Mile post offices.

Describing the Miracle Mile incident, Mazer said the branch was shut down for 2 1/2 hours after a customer discovered powder in the lobby. Nine of 11 customers and four of eight postal workers on the scene voluntarily went to nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to be tested. But the powder did not test positive for the anthrax bacteria, Mazer said.

Three of the customers said they were sent home with prescriptions for a three-day supply of the antibiotic Cipro, which they were told doctors did not believe were necessary but that they could fill if they felt nervous.

One of the patrons, Marisol Hedge of Los Angeles, said she had the prescription filled. “At first I wasn’t going to take it,” she said, “but then I couldn’t sleep last night. I took it and this morning I feel better.”