-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Sunder wrote:

Would it help to microwave your mail if you don't know where it came from and you're sure it doesn't contain an objects? i.e. it's not a CD you've ordered from Amazon. :)

Whatever happened to simply not opening unexpected letters or packages? If you think it might be a problem, maybe getting mail delivered to a drop and discreetly popping on gloves and HEPA filter mask before you open your box would be better than having it delivered to your house. I'm not particularly worried, but having a mail drop box is just sound policy, privacy-wise.

Do anthrax spores get cooked enough by microwaves to be killed, or are they too dry in spore form to be nuked?

Here's a bit on dealing with anthrax from the American Public Health Association's Control of Communicable Diseases Manual: 3) Concurrent disinfection: Of discharges from lesions and articles soiled therewith. Hypochlorite is sporicidal and good when organic matter is not overwhelming and the item is not corrodable; hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid or glutaraldehyde may be alternatives; formaldehyde, ethylene oxide and cobalt irradiation have been used. Spores require steam sterilization, autoclaving or burning to ensure complete destruction. Fumigation and chemical disinfection may be used for valuable equipment. Terminal cleaning. 4) Quarantine: None. 5) Immunization of contacts: None. 6) Investigation of contacts and source of infection: Search for history of exposure to infected animals or animal products and trace to place of origin. In a manufacturing plant, inspect for adequacy of preventive measures as outlined in 9A, above. As mentioned in 9B1, a potential bioterrorist source may need to be ruled out for all human cases of anthrax, especially for those cases with no obvious occupational source of infection. 7) Specific treatment: Penicillin is the drug of choice for cutane- ous anthrax and is given for 5-7 days. Tetracyclines, erythromycin and chloramphenicol are also effective. The U.S. military recommends parenteral ciprofloxacin or doxycycline for inhalational anthrax; the duration of therapy is not well defined. 8) Responders can be protected from anthrax spores by donning splash protection, gloves and a full face respirator with high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters (Level C) or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) (Level B). 9) Persons who may have been exposed and are potentially contaminated should be decontaminated with soap and copious amounts of water in a shower. Usually no bleach solutions are required. A 1:10 dilution of household bleach (i.e., a final hypochlorite concentration of 0.5%) should be used only if there is gross contamination with the agent and an inability to remove the materials through soap and water decontamination. The use of bleach decontamination is recommended only after soap and water decontamination, and the solution should be rinsed off after 10 to 15 minutes. 10) All persons who are to be decontaminated should remove their clothing and personal effects and place all items in plastic bags, which should be labeled clearly with the owners name, contact telephone number and inventory of the bags contents. Personal items may be kept as evidence in a criminal trial or returned to the owner if the threat is unsubstantiated. 11) If the suspect envelope or package associated with an anthrax threat remains sealed (not opened), then first responders should not take any action other than notifying the FBI and packaging the evidence. Quarantine, evacuation, decontamination and chemoprophylaxis efforts are NOT indicated if the envelope or package remains sealed. For incidents involving possibly contaminated letters, the environment in direct contact with the letter or its contents should be decontaminated with a 0.5% hypochlorite solution following a crime scene investigation. Personal effects may be decontaminated similarly. 12) Technical assistance can be provided immediately by contacting the National Response Center at 800-424-8802 or the local Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator of the FBI. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: Hush 2.0 wl8EARECAB8FAjvKGM0YHGF1dG8zMDEwOTRAaHVzaG1haWwuY29tAAoJEKadvsVlUK4P ZSwAmgLhRWGtImfCeUkdwOqtYWrFx2ocAJ9SYerz0cLt4pEJmp2XOl3e/PL6yQ== =y/kX -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----