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False E-mail Reports

False E-mail Report about "Klingerman Virus"

Find additional information on other e-mail reports on the Current Health-Related Hoaxes and Rumors CDC page.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently received several inquiries concerning an e-mail message about people who have been infected with "Klingerman virus" after opening gift packages delivered to them in the mail. According to the e-mail message, a number of people became ill with a viral infection after handling a sponge contained in a package marked, "A gift for you from the Klingerman Foundation."

The e-mail is a hoax. There is no "Klingerman virus," and the information in the e-mail notice is untrue. If you receive an e-mail message about "Klingerman virus," please do not forward it to others.

Although the e-mail message is a hoax, if you are concerned about the contents of a package you receive in the mail, contact your local post office. It is a criminal offense to send potentially hazardous agents through the mail for the purpose of deliberately causing harm to human health. When such an incident occurs, the local emergency response system should be activated by dialing 911 in most communities; in communities without 911 systems, local law enforcement authorities should be notified. The local FBI field office and local and state public health authorities also should be notified.

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This page last reviewed May 23, 2001

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