White powder sent to surgery not anthrax

Invercargill
A white powder which caused 10 people to be sent to hospital as a precaution in Invercargill on Friday was not anthrax, police said.
Bester and McKay Family Doctors' surgery was closed and part of the street cordoned off after a receptionist at the medical practice opened mail and came into contact with white powder inside an envelope.
Practice spokesman Robert Bester said today he had to make a judgment call at the time of the incident.
"The note (which accompanied the powder) was a bit ambiguous as to whether it was threatening or jesting. I had to make the call as to whether to put it in the bin or hand it to police.
"I felt I had to be responsible for our staff and other people in the building so I (raised the alarm)."
The fire service carried out a full-scale decontamination and 10 people, including six staff and two patients were taken to Southland Hospital as a precaution.
Constable Sean Cairns, of Invercargill police, said preliminary tests conducted in Wellington had revealed it was not anthrax, cyanide or any other toxic substance.
The powder had been forwarded to Environmental and Scientific Research to find out exactly what it was.
Inquiries into who might have sent the powder were continuing, Mr Cairns said.
The note was also sent for testing. Mr Cairns would not comment on what it said .? NZPA