Anthrax hoaxes abound but facts are hard to find

Irksome prank or a deadly peril?

People around the world juggled the anthrax risk yesterday, balancing bolstered precautions against the fact most suspicious letters contain harmless white sprinkles.

"Relax, it could be just talcum powder," headlined The Times of India, noting that all dubious packets so far tested by the country's health authorities have tested negative for the killer bacteria.

Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Razak likewise urged people not to panic.

"We have not reached a stage where we feel that Malaysia has become a target for those with evil intentions," Najib told the New Sunday Times. "We only need to ensure that we are more careful in our daily routines."

Only four of Malaysia's 13 states have suffered anthrax scares -- and no cases indicated anthrax exposure.

Tests also cleared countless suspicious parcels in Japan, including those sent to the Foreign Ministry, the prime minister's office, the Defense Ministry, numerous newspapers and the US Embassy.

The odds of a powder-filled packet containing anthrax are slim, but that's cold comfort to a jittery public.

"I'd give it to the police, you never know," said Takeshi Fujita, a 24-year-old subway worker. "It's pretty scary, isn't it?"

To instill better peace of mind, Hong Kong has promised decontamination and treatment for anyone believed to have inhaled anthrax.

The US anthrax scare bubbled over the country's borders Friday when a letter in Argentina tested positive for the bacteria. That case followed a separate incident last week when a Kenyan doctor received an anthrax-laced letter from Atlanta.

Fears were amplified Saturday when evidence of anthrax was found in the US House of Representatives, bringing to three the number of US federal facilities believed to be tainted.

This latest discovery, in a bundling machine used to process mail for lawmakers, was ``not an unexpected situation,'' according to a spokesman for the US Capitol Police.

"It is exactly why we have been performing sampling throughout the Capitol complex," Lieutenant Dan Nichols said.