November 02, 2001

KATHMANDU: A committee headed by Minister of State for Science and Technology Bhakta Bahadur Balayar to combat an outbreak of anthrax or other forms of bio-terrorism met for the first time Thursday after its formation, an announcement said.

The watchdog body will prepare plans to fight bio-terrorism that has surfaced mainly in the United States after the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.

No traces of bio-terrorism have been traced so far in Nepal, officials said.  But on demand postal services workers in the capital have been issued masks and gloves for safety. But not all letter sorters at the General Post Office has received such masks and gloves, an employee said.

Three laboratories has been set up in the capital to trace cases of anthrax.