A recent postal scare in Corning and other Saskatchewan communities has kept local police and public health offices busier than usual.

A suspicious letter arrived at a Corning address this past week, which contained a questionable substance. Police investigated and sent the substance to the Health Canada laboratory in Winnipeg for analysis. Quick tests discovered the substance to be negative of any anthrax spores, and full tests revealed that the questionable substance was actually a commonly-used product found in many packaging situations.

"This envelope was from a reputable charity in Toronto which sends out Christmas cards as fund-raising samples," advised Cpl. Keith Lowenberger of the Montmartre RCMP. "The product is a common drying agent that is used frequently in packaging. You may see a package of it when you buy something new - they usually read 'Do not Eat' on the sleeve. This specific envelope received four to five times the normal amount and when the recipient opened the letter, she was extremely frightened."

This was the first instance of a suspicious package in southeastern Saskatchewan and was really just a product of bad timing, considering recent events in the United States. A further report came in from another resident that received a post card from the Philippines. The card was just a generic direct marketing tactic.

"People really shouldn't panic in Saskatchewan," noted Saskatchewan Deputy Medical Health Officer Dr. Ross Findlater from his Regina office. "People seem to be really nervous because of all the publicity surrounding the U.S. attacks, but as long as people put things into perspective and use common sense, things will be fine."

There are two types of anthrax spores that can infect humans - spores that are breathed in and spores that enter through cuts and scrapes in the skin.

"Anthrax is a very unusual disease in Canada," said Dr. Findlater. "It does infect some cattle in the prairies once in a while, but there has never been a case of anthrax spores within humans in Canada."

The process of discovering spores and finding suspicious items in the mail is quickly becoming a very defined process. Over the past week, Canadian Health officials have learned more about the Canadian mail system and what's in the mail, than they have in the entire history of Canada Post. The mail has been analyzed, evaluated and looked at on a molecular level.

"We have learned a lot more about what's in our regular mail than I ever thought possible," Findlater reveals. "There are a lot of things used in our mail products that can give off a light power, such as papers and magazines. People should view commercially received products and letters as a low risk. The only time to worry is if the package looks like it might be a threat."

The Saskatchewan Health office in Regina did not have the specifics to comment on the case in Corning, however the office did provide some brief insight on how it tests for anthrax.

"Testing for anthrax is done by the Health Canada lab in Winnipeg," Findlater notes. "After a suspicious item is sent to Winnipeg we can have quick test results in 24 hours, but it can take up to a week for in-depth results. The suspicious substance is then put on a culture plate to see if any spores grow. That's what takes the longest."

Findlater assures southeastern Saskatchewan residents that this is a very low-risk area for a biological war attack and unless there is an extremely suspicious package in the mail, people should use common sense as their judge.

"There has been no evidence of any life-threatening cases in Canada," Cpl. Lowenberger agrees. "If you get a letter with no return address or from somewhere really out of the ordinary, then that may be a good indication of tampering, but other than that, the mail is pretty secure in Canada."

People who receive suspicious or unexpected packages or envelopes should contact local police or RCMP for advice on how to handle the package. Tampering with the mail, even as a hoax, is a federal offense and will be investigated and prosecuted.