[0] ANTHRAX THREAT CLEARS VALLEY BUILDING; DEADLY BACTERIA FEARED AT LARGE FOR SECOND TIME IN CITY.

Byline: Steve Carney Daily News Staff Writer

A caller claiming deadly anthrax bacteria had been released Friday in the

U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Warner Center forced the court's evacuation for more than seven hours, the second such incident in the city in two days.

Someone telephoned at 2:08 p.m. and said anthrax spores had been introduced into the ventilation system at the courthouse, 21041 Burbank Blvd., said LAPD Lt. Anthony Alba.

Police and firefighters evacuated the 91 men and women inside to a grassy area in front of the building, where they had to wait more than five hours amid dropping temperatures. Fire officials later fed the evacuees and brought in buses to keep them out of the cold.

Firefighters, police officers and FBI agents examined the air system on the building's roof for anything suspicious, and swabbed samples from air vents throughout the building. They emerged after about 20 minutes and the samples were flown to the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory downtown for testing.

Rescue workers were still waiting for the test results at 9:30 p.m.

``We never take it for granted that it might be a hoax,'' Alba said.

Kept in a quarantined ``hot zone'' behind red barrier tape, the evacuees paced, made cell-phone calls, laughed and joked with each other. They applauded when they were told they'd be getting warm blankets, which firefighters tossed into the crowd like peanuts at a ballgame about 4:20 p.m. The buses were brought in later.

Only a few rescue workers were allowed near the people, in case they had been exposed to the anthrax spores, which can be transmitted through breathing, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda said.

The disease caused by the anthrax bacteria is most commonly found in livestock, but has up to a 90 percent mortality rate if inhaled by humans. The anthrax travels through the lymph and blood systems, spreading infection to tissues throughout the body.

Early flu-like symptoms, such as chills and chest pains in the first two days after exposure, give way to bluish skin, labored breathing and low blood pressure after three to five days. Antibiotics are used to combat the disease.

On Thursday, a Westwood office building received an anthrax threat in the form of a letter that was later discovered to be a hoax.

On Monday, a similar incident occurred in Riverside County when a Perris School District secretary opened a letter that read: ``you've been exposed to anthrax,'' according to The Associated Press.

There have also been other anthrax hoax letters received in Colorado, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Alba said about 150 firefighters, police officers, health workers, FBI agents, U.S. marshals and others had to respond to Friday's threat. He said the drain on government resources would probably equal the $500,000 cost of the Westwood hoax the previous day.

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PHOTO Bankruptcy court workers quarantined behind emergency tape talk to firefighters during investigation of an anthrax threat Friday in Woodland Hills.

John Lazar/Daily News