Bay St. Louis police: Worker felt ill after opening envelope with ‘unknown substance’

Update: “After a preliminary investigation by the Mississippi Office Of Homeland Security, no dangerous substances were detected at the office building or in the package,” Bay police said at 6:05 p.m.

Bay St. Louis police say an employee at a title and loan company went to the hospital after opening an envelope containing an “unknown substance” on Wednesday.

Officers responded at 11:47 a.m. to Ochsner Medical Center after a report of a patient who felt ill after contact with an unknown substance, Chief Gary Ponthieux Jr. said in a press release.

The patient said they opened an envelope at work, Advantage Title on Court Street, and then started to feel ill “after several minutes” and drove to the hospital.

Bay police notified the delivery service who delivered the envelope, the Hancock County Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control.

The office building was evacuated and is being inspected and tested by the CDC.

The patient has since been treated and released from the hospital.

The substance has yet to be identified and an investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 5:35 PM.