A letter threatening the use of anthrax was mailed to Florida's highway safety agency, forcing an evacuation of 1,100 state employees Monday morning, according to the The Miami Herald.
No anthrax was detected in the letter, according to officials from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
A team of hazardous materials experts were sent to the scene, sectioned off with yellow crime scene tape, and assessed the letter and its contents.
"What a mess," said Julia Jones, highway safety director.
"We believe that everybody was safely evacuated out of the building."
Jones added that she did not actually see the threatening letter that was addressed to her personally and was unaware of what it contained.
"When they opened it up, it threatened that the letter had white powder in it and said 'This is anthrax and I hope u [sic] die,'" Jones said.
Seven state employees were still inside the records department on the second floor of the building when the letter was discovered, said Mike Bellamy, Lt. of the Tallahassee Fire Department. Those workers had to stay inside the building to preserve the crime scene appropriately, but they are in good health and were evaluated by special respiratory equipment used by the hazardous materials team.
Anthrax is an acute infections disease that results from spore-forming bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Humans can become infected when exposed to spores contained in a bioterrorist weapon.
Symptoms of anthrax exposure vary depending on the pathway of exposure, but include blisters, nausea, loss of appetite and fever.
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