Johnson County Sheriff's Department Lt. Terry McLaughlin spoke with the Skatruds, who were standing in their driveway, via cellular phones. In the meantime, hazardous-materials technicians from White River and Greenwood fire departments contacted the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta as well as physicians from the Indiana Poison Control Center who advised them on identifying and treating the bacteria. Donna and Paul were then cleansed in decontamination showers and examined by medical personnel on the scene who prescribed antibiotics to them as a preventative measure in case the powder was indeed Coxiella Burnittii. Coxiella Burnittii is a bacteria which primarily lives in cattle, sheep, goats, cats and ticks and can cause Q Fever, an infectious and potentially deadly disease.
Early stages can cause pneumonia and hepatitis.
If left untreated, Q Fever can cause heart complications. The Skatruds returned to their home early Sunday evening after hazardous-materials technicians gathered the letter and cleaned areas exposed to the powder. The note and other items from the home were handed over to the FBI, which sent the evidence to a lab for identification Monday, said White River Township Fire Department Lt. Joel Thacker. He was in charge of Sunday's hazardous-materials operations. Paul told investigators he had returned from San Diego in late August and was unaware of the note and its mysterious contents until Sunday's discovery.