Message-ID: <2689242.1075854949032.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 14:08:20 -0700 (PDT) From: bcarte9@attglobal.net To: tony@enron.com, zvon@enron.com, josh.carlos@enron.com, dan.freese@enron.com, ed.fussell@enron.com, anthony.hopkins@enron.com, steinar.johansen@enron.com, <"fichter.john"@enron.com>, mark.mcconnell@enron.com, r..ortiz@enron.com, roberto.ortiz@enron.com, patrick.sweeney@enron.com, ray.thornton@enron.com, russell.yarbrough@enron.com, mark.yeager@enron.com Subject: [Fwd: ANTHRAX INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Bob X-To: PLarson228@aol.com, steve , Tony , Zvon , Carlos Barajas, BARAMISE2000@aol.com, clark, josh , Freese, Dan , Fussell, Ed , Hopkins, Anthony , JOHANSEN, STEINAR , JOHN", "FICHTER, , McConnell, Mark , McConnell", "J. & J. , Ortiz, R. , Ortiz, Roberto , sweeney, patrick , Thornton, Ray , Yarbrough, Russell , Yeager, Mark X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \MMCCONNE (Non-Privileged)\Deleted Items X-Origin: McConnell-M X-FileName: MMCCONNE (Non-Privileged).pst HOPE YOU FIND INFORMATIVE --------- Inline attachment follows --------- From: To: 'Bob M Carter' Date: Friday, October 19, 2001 2:26:19 GMT Subject: Here is some useful information on Anthrax that was sent to Conoco employees by Conoco's Corporate Security. Please post or forward as needed. > ANTHRAX INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES > > Corporate Security is aware of the media reports of Anthrax mailings and > everyone's heightened concern of a possible contamination at Conoco. We > have maintained contact with the FBI, Hazmat officials and other > government agencies regarding the investigations about, and the risk of > contracting Anthrax as a result of receiving a letter. With the > heightened concern we all need to become better educated about Anthrax and > deal with it on a rational level rather than an emotional one. We have > evaluated the available information and intelligence and believe the risk > of an Anthrax exposure at Conoco is low at the present time. > > Most reported instances of letters containing alleged Anthrax and powdery > substances have proven to be hoaxes. At this time all of the confirmed > cases, except one, have been directed at the news media and U. S. > Government officials. > > Procedures are being furnished Conoco mailrooms regarding screening of > mail and packages prior to distributions. However, so everyone is educated > regarding Anthrax and handling pieces of mail, we are furnishing the below > information: > > > FACTS ABOUT ANTHRAX > > Anthrax is a small invisible organism that cannot be seen by the naked > eye. To effectively target an individual in a letter, the Anthrax must be > mixed with a powdery medium and placed in the letter. It then becomes a > visible substance resembling a brownish or white powder and will > immediately settle to the ground. The Anthrax must be effectively > dispersed and the victim must be exposed to a relatively large amount of > Anthrax to become infected. Fortunately, Anthrax can be washed off with > soap and water after handling. Anthrax is not contagious; there is no > threat of person-to-person transmittal. If someone is exposed to Anthrax, > it is treatable with antibiotics. > > Over 95% of Anthrax cases occur when spores linger on the skin in cuts or > scratches. Anthrax cannot penetrate intact skin. Exposure causes lesions > that initially resemble an insect bite which progresses into a > fluid-filled blister within a day or two with swelling at the site of the > infection. The blister forms a black scab. Twenty percent of the time > individuals who develop skin lesions may progress onto developing wide > spread disease which requires immediate treatment. > > The second method of obtaining Anthrax poisoning is through ingestion. > Gastrointestinal Anthrax is extremely rare in humans and is usually > contracted when undercooked infected meat is eaten. The initial signs of > gastrointestinal Anthrax are nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and fever. > This may be followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood and severe > diarrhea. > > The third method is inhalation of Anthrax spores. The onset of inhalation > of Anthrax is gradual after a short incubation period, which is usually > within seven days (in rare cases it is sometimes longer). The victim may > initially experience flu like symptoms that start to improve. This mild > illness can then progress rapidly to respiratory distress and shock in two > to four days followed by more severe symptoms that include breathing > difficulty and exhaustion. > If you have had a "Known" exposure you should seek medical care for > monitoring and potentially for treatment if indicated. If you have had a > "possible" exposure and are having symptoms, you should seek medical > evaluation and treatment through your personal physician. If you do not > have a personal physician IHS can help direct you to appropriate care. > It is difficult to contract inhalation Anthrax by the mere act of opening > an envelope or package containing a suspected agent or walking through > settled material. This would generally not provide the energy required to > aerosolize the agent. The FBI has advised that "hundreds" of letters have > been referred to them because they were suspected of containing Anthrax. > So far, of all the letters referred to the FBI, very few have contained > Anthrax. Most letters implying they contain Anthrax will also contain a > written or implied threat. As of this date, there is no evidence that any > such letters have ever been directed at anyone at Conoco. > > HOW TO HANDLE SUSPECTED ANTHRAX AND OTHER SUSPECTED BIOLOGICAL AGENT > THREATS > > Many facilities in communities around the country have received Anthrax > threat letters. Most were empty envelopes; some have contained powdery > substances most have proved negative for Anthrax. The purpose of these > guidelines is to recommend procedures for handling letters suspected of > containing Anthrax. > > DO NOT PANIC > > 1. To infect, the organism must be rubbed into abraded skin, swallowed, > or inhaled as a fine, aerosolized mist. Disease can be prevented after > exposure to the Anthrax spores by early treatment with the appropriate > antibiotics. Anthrax is not spread from one person to another person. > 2. For Anthrax to be effective as a covert agent, it must be > aerosolized into very small particles. This is difficult to do, and > requires a great deal of technical skill and special equipment. If these > small particles are inhaled, life-threatening lung infection can occur, > but prompt recognition and treatment are effective. > > SUSPICIOUS UNOPENED LETTER OR PACKAGE MARKED WITH THREATENING > MESSAGE SUCH AS "ANTHRAX": > > 1. Do not shake or empty the contents of any suspicious envelope or > package. > 2. PLACE the envelope or package in a plastic bag or some other type of > container to prevent leakage of contents. > 3. If you do not have any container, then COVER the envelope or package > with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do not remove > this cover. > 4. Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the area to > prevent others from entering (i.e., keep others away). > 5. WASH your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder > to your face. > 6. What to do next... > *If you are at HOME, then report the incident to local police. > *If you are at WORK, then report the incident to security or an available > supervisor. > 7. LIST all people who were in the room or area when this suspicious > letter or package was recognized. Give a copy of this list to security, > the local public health authorities and law enforcement officials for > follow-up investigations and advice. > > ENVELOPE WITH POWDER AND POWDER SPILLS OUT ONTO SURFACE: > > 1. DO NOT try to CLEAN UP the powder. COVER the spilled contents > immediately with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do > not remove this cover! > 2. Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the area to > prevent others from entering (i.e., keep others away). > 3. WASH your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder > to your face. > 4. What to do next... > *If you are at HOME, then report the incident to local police. > *If you are at WORK, then report the incident to security or an available > supervisor. > 5. REMOVE heavily contaminated clothing as soon as possible and place > in a plastic bag, or some other container that can be sealed. This > clothing bag should be given to the emergency responders for proper > handling. > 6. SHOWER with soap and water as soon as possible. Do Not Use Bleach Or > Other Disinfectant On Your Skin. > 7. If possible, list all people who were in the room or area, > especially those who had actual contact with the powder. Give a copy of > this list to security, the local public health authorities so that proper > instructions can be given for medical follow-up, and to law enforcement > officials for further investigation. > 8. If prescribed medication by medical personnel, take it until > otherwise instructed or it runs out. > > HOW TO IDENTIFY SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES AND LETTERS > > The U. S. Postal Inspection Service has provided information about letters > and packages that ought to trigger suspicion. This include parcels that: > > * Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you. > * Excessive postage (Using postage stamps not meter strips) > * Sloppy or unprofessional preparation. > * Incorrect titles > * Titles but no names > * Sloshing sounds, possibly liquid contents > * Excessive wrapping materials, such as masking tape, strapping tape > or string. > * Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are > otherwise outdated. > * Have no return address, or have one that can't be verified as > legitimate. > * Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly > shaped. > * Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as "Personal" or > "Confidential." > * Show a city or state in the postmark that doesn't match the return > address. > * Have protruding wires, strange odors or stains. > * Handwritten or poorly typed addresses > * Misspellings of common words > * Oily stains, discolorations or odor > > None of these indicators, standing alone, can identify a suspect package > that contains Anthrax. All known relevant facts must be taken into > consideration to properly evaluate the situation. > > We have been advised that the FBI has made the following response > recommendations to Local Law Enforcement: > > Unopened letters/packages with no suspicious markings or indicators: > No law enforcement/emergency response action is recommended. Recipients > of the letter/package may be advised that if they are concerned about > opening a piece of mail, they should not do so. > > Opened letters/packages with material that has spilled out: > Law enforcement should follow local response protocols for potential > hazardous materials. The local FBI office should be notified and can > coordinate a threat assessment and technical assistance/advice as needed. > > > Unopened (sealed) letters/packages with suspicious markings or indicators: > > Law enforcement should follow local protocols for responding to the > location and collecting the suspect mail. > > As additional information comes available, it will be communicated. > > > > > > >