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1 <br /> E COUNTY <br /> OVERNMENT <br /> E W S <br /> For Imme 'ate Release 12/26/02 <br /> 'threat sidered Low for Envelope Found at Airport -Agendas Respond <br /> This mornin ,city, county, state and federal agencies responded to a small suspicious package found in a <br /> boarding are of the Eugene Airport. Authorities are treating the situation seriously as a smallpox threat, <br /> but that thre t is considered very remote. - <br /> The Federal ureau of Investigation does not in any way consider this a credible threat at this time. The <br /> package has een taken to the state health laboratory for analysis, as is normal protocol. <br /> "There are any incidents that look like they could be bio-terrorism, but the vast majority of these turn <br /> out to be cri final hoaxes," said Dr. Sarah Hendrickson, Public Health Officer. "However, we are taking <br /> this incident seriously and using it to exercise our communications and investigation systems. At this <br /> point, we ar not aware of any smallpox outbreaks anywhere in the world. In the very unlikely event that <br /> this were sm llpox we would have nearly four days to deal with prevention. Absolutely no one needs a <br /> vaccine at th s point." <br /> Lane Coun and State Public Health authorities, Federal Transportation Security Administration, <br /> Eugene Ai rt, City of Eugene Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are proceeding with an <br /> investigatio . Bio-terrorism scares that prove to be hoaxes can be prosecuted as crimes. <br /> For more ge eral information about smallpox, citizens can call the CDC hotline at (888) 246.2675, <br /> Espanol (88 ) 246.2857, or TTY (866) 874.2646. Website information is at <br /> w w.bt.cdc. ov/a ent/small ox/ <br /> <br /> i!, <br /> Lane i;oun Government 125E 8`, Eugene. Oregon 97401 541.682.3747 <br /> <br />