Two university staff in Berlin were taken to hospital feeling ill after handling a letter containing a suspicious substance, a German police spokesman said today.
The spokesman declined to comment on a report on Germany's N-TV television that the letter might have contained anthrax. "I can't confirm that," he said.
He said the letter was being examined and test results were likely only tomorrow. As a precautionary step, part of the university buildings had been sealed off.
Anthrax scares were common in the United States and around the world in the weeks after the September 11th attacks. Several people died after being exposed to letters containing the bacteria which were sent to US media outlets and politicians.
There were several scares in Germany but all turned out to be false.