Bioterror Fever Grips the World
Oct. 17 -- Panic gripped the globe as the number of people testing positive for exposure to anthrax in the world's only superpower increased alarmingly today.
Fear seemed to be a shared emotion as a "globalized" world closely monitored the developments in the United States during the past three days and false alarms, evacuations and tightened security greeted people from London to Slovenia today.
Although no anthrax cases outside the United States have been confirmed, hoaxers, and sometimes genuine panic attacks, caused disruptions across Europe, Asia and the Americas.
London police today confirmed that 12 employees from the London Stock Exchange were taken to hospital for tests after a suspect package was delivered to the exchange building. The employees worked in the mailroom, police officials told ABCNEWS, and were being tested as a "precautionary measure."
Emergency services went on alert in Belfast as well as the British towns of Hatfield and Chelmsford after postal workers reported that suspect packages were leaking white powder.
The incidents came despite a warning from Britain's Chief Superintendent Kevin Morris that hoaxers face long prison sentences.
Scare Mongering and Genuine Fears
But sheer panic, if not intentional scare-mongering, disrupted services around the world. An Austrian Airlines jet bound for New Delhi, India, from Vienna was turned back after a passenger found white powder near her seat, said airline officials. The package was sent for testing and the aircraft was carefully searched.
Bioterror gripped Australia today as health officials confirmed that 57 anthrax scares were probed, despite a plea by Prime Minister John Howard urging Australians not to panic.
The U.S. consulate in the Canadian city of Halifax was briefly evacuated after an unidentified white powder was found in the building.
In Sweden, workers at a government office reported receiving a package containing a white powder, which was turned over to health officials for testing. Reports from the test have not yet come in.
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