SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinoisans and others who may have visited certain areas of the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Monday are being advised to receive antibiotic treatment for possible exposure to anthrax, Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, said today.

Based on a recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Lumpkin said visitors and employees who were on the 5th or 6th floor of the building's southeast wing on Monday (Oct. 15) between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. should contact their health care provider to be treated for possible anthrax exposure.

A letter mailed to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and opened in his Senate office contained a powder that has tested positive for a strain of anthrax and prompted the closure of part of the building.

Individuals who were in the affected areas of the building need not be given nasal swabs as a preliminary test for exposure, Dr. Lumpkin said. CDC said nasal swabs are primarily being used for epidemiological investigation, not for individuals diagnosis, prophylaxis or treatment.

Persons who may have been in the building and have questions should contact their local health department, the Illinois Department of Public Health or CDC. These guidelines may change over the next few days and will be updated by the CDC as needed based on the continuing investigation, Dr. Lumpkin said.

Physicians with questions about treatment information can contact the District of Columbia's Department of Health at 202-442-9196, locals health departments in Illinois or the Illinois Department of Public Health.

At the current time, CDC believes it is not necessary for people who visited other areas of the Hart Senate Office Building or the U.S. Capitol to be treated.