Anthrax mailed to Pakistani PM's office: Spokesperson

A small parcel mailed to an office of the Pakistani prime minister in October contained a small amount of deadly anthrax spores, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"The security team became suspicious of the package," Akram Shahidi, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told Reuters.

"After lab testing, it was determined that this was anthrax."

There were no reported casualties. The parcel was mailed from the town of Jamshoro in the southern Pakistani province of Sindh to Gilani's complaint office, which is in a building separate to where he works.

Islamist militants have attacked Pakistani government leaders and security force officers with bombs and guns on numerous occasions but there have been no previous reports of anthrax attacks.

Inhaling anthrax spores, which can be produced in a minimally outfitted laboratory, can lead to fatal respiratory collapse more than 90% of the time if not treated promptly.

In the United States, following the September 11, 2001, attacks, envelopes containing anthrax were mailed to media outlets and two senators' offices killing five people and affecting 17, prompting one of the FBI's largest investigations ever.

A Justice Department investigation concluded that a US army scientist was behind those attacks. The scientist committed suicide in 2008 as prosecutors prepared to charge him with murder.   

— Writing by Chris Allbritton and Qasim Nauman; Editing by Robert Birsel