Trace of anthrax found in Indiana

O'Bannon: "There is absolutely no reason for Hoosiers to be alarmed."

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (CNN) -- Two postal service machines sent to a company near here from an anthrax-contaminated Washington post office has tested positive for a trace of the bacteria, state officials said Wednesday.

"[The machines] did not handle any Indiana mail," Gov. Frank O'Bannon told reporters, "so there is absolutely no reason for Hoosiers to be alarmed."

The machines were sent to DDD Company in Plainfield, Indiana, for cleaning from the Brentwood mail processing center in Washington.

The center, which processed an anthrax-laced letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, was closed after postal employees took ill. Two died of inhalation anthrax and two others remain hospitalized.

VIDEO U.S. investigators are trying to keep up with the growing number of people testing postitive for anthrax. CNN's Eileen O'Connor reports (October 31) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

O'Bannon said no one was sick with anthrax in Indiana. He said the amount of anthrax found on the machines was not enough to be a threat to the company's 103 employees, but they have been put on antibiotics as a precaution.

O'Bannon said neither postal officials nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned the state of a possible anthrax threat.

The machines were shipped to the company before anthrax was discovered in the Brentwood facility.

"But they've known since early last week that it was possible that the machines were exposed and that it was here in Indiana," O'Bannon said.

The state learned of a possible threat when company representatives called the state's health department to ask about antibiotic treatments for its workers.

A second company that services postal machines was also tested, but those tests came up negative, according to state Health Commissioner Dr. Greg Wilson.

"We have instructed the individuals who were working at those companies to start antibiotic treatment, and we are now investigating other individuals who might have had contact during the transport [of the machine]," Wilson said.

Wilson said the facility would be retested for possible contamination and employees would continue to take antibiotics as a precaution.