Anthrax closes civilian post office in Pentagon

A civilian post office in the Pentagon complex has been closed after traces of anthrax were found.

The public post office is thought to be in an underground shopping area.

It has been undergoing testing since an anthrax-contaminated letter arrived at Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's congressional office on October 15.

Two of 17 samples taken from the facility on Tuesday tested positive for the bacteria. Subsequent tests show no positive results at the site.

Six employees who work at the branch have been put on Cipro, an antibiotic used to treat anthrax, as a precaution. Authorities are notifying those who rent post office boxes at the site that there have been contamination, reports CNN.

The facility does not process mail for the Pentagon but receives mail from the Brentwood mail-processing centre in Washington. Two employees from the Brentwood facility - which processed the anthrax-laden letter sent to Daschle - died of inhalation anthrax and two others are in hospital.

The Hart Senate Office Building, which houses Daschle's office, remains closed. But the Longworth House Office Building, which has been closed since October 26 when traces of anthrax were found, is due to reopen today except for the three contaminated offices.