Training to combat anthrax attack

Training to combat anthrax attack

JAKARTA: Some 50 police personnel joined a day-long training
course Tuesday on how to deal with an anthrax attack in the
capital, a senior official at Jakarta Police headquarters said.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Slamet Purnomo, chief of the Jakarta Police
medical and health center, said that the course was provided so
as to comply with requests from several embassies in Jakarta for
protection against possible anthrax attacks.

"The course, which is being attended by police officers from
operational units in police precincts across Jakarta,
intelligence units and detectives, is aimed at preparing police
officers so that they can cope with possible attacks," Slamet
said.

Police reported three weeks ago that suspicious parcels,
suspected of containing anthrax spores, had been mailed to the
British Embassy and the Australian Embassy. After examining the
parcels, police said they were free of anthrax spores.

Slamet said that anthrax in Indonesia normally only attacked
animals, but the virus could be lethal to people if it were to
infect their lungs.--JP