Last Updated

03 Jan 2003

Source: Wall Street Journal, May 23, 2002.

World Bank: Final Test Shows No Anthrax In Mail

By Joseph Rebello, Dow Jones Newswires

WASHINGTON -- The World Bank has asked more than 1,000 employees who had been working at home because of an anthrax scare to return to their offices, saying it has determined conclusively that live anthrax was not present in mail sent to the bank.

In a statement Wednesday, the bank said it conducted a "definitive culture test" of a batch of mail that had been thought to be contaminated with anthrax Monday. It showed that the "mail was not contaminated by live anthrax ," the bank said.

"As a result of this finding, the air-conditioning in the Bank building located at 18th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue is being restored, and Bank staff from that building who have been working at home will return to their offices on Thursday morning," the bank said.

On Monday, the bank shut down the air-conditioning system of a building just across the street from its headquarters at 1818 Pennsylvania Ave. after a preliminary test indicated the possible presence of anthrax . It asked 1,200 employees to work from their homes and ordered two additional tests of the mail. It also asked four employees to begin taking antibiotics.

That caused a scare that irritated city health officials. The International Monetary Fund, also located across the street from the bank, decided to retest a batch of mail that had previously shown no evidence of anthrax . The new test indicated the possible presence of anthrax .

So the IMF provided antibiotics to more than 50 employees and ordered a more conclusive test, a spokesman said Wednesday. Results of that test are due Thursday, said Francisco Baker, an IMF spokesman. He said the IMF expects it to show, like the final World Bank test, that anthrax was not present in its mail.

In its statement, the World Bank defended its actions: "Management believes it took the necessary steps to provide for the health and safety of Bank staff during this period."