Fentanyl laced flyer: A Texas deputy touched a piece of paper and ended up in the hospital

Joel Shannon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Texas deputy hospitalized after touching fentanyl laced flyer The fliers were found on cars near a precinct that houses the Houston-area sheriff's department's violent crime unit and homicide division.

A Texas deputy was treated at a hospital and then released on Tuesday after she touched a flyer suspected of being laced with fentanyl, a potent and potentially deadly opioid.

The sergeant found a flyer on her windshield, removed it and soon began feeling light-headed, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

She went to the hospital for treatment, according to Gonzalez. A Tuesday afternoon tweet from the sheriff's office said the deputy was treated for possible fentanyl exposure and released from the hospital.

An investigation revealed that the flyers had been placed on more than 10 vehicles, and one of the fliers tested positive for fentanyl, Gonzalez said.

The positive fentanyl test did not come from the flyer on the sickened sergeant's vehicle, but all flyers are currently being tested, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff's office told USA TODAY in an email.

The fliers were found on cars near a precinct that houses the Houston-area sheriff's department's violent crime unit and homicide division.

"We're on high alert at this time because, obviously, with this being a police facility, we don't know if it was intended to target law enforcement or perhaps it was just randomly placed here," Gonzalez said.

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Gonzalez said the department was unsure if the flyers had been more widely distributed.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office tweeted that a hazardous materials team was among the responding agencies Tuesday. The team worked to treat cars that had come in contact with the flyers.

UPDATE: The sergeant who came into contact with a flyer that tested positive for Fentanyl is alert and receiving treatment. Harris County Haz-Mat is evaluating the scene at 601 Lockwood. #hounews pic.twitter.com/JBXa93cfXk — HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) June 26, 2018

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid over 30 times more potent than heroin, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. A dose as small as 2 milligrams can be fatal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says fentanyl is approved for treating severe pain but can be diverted for illicit purposes. Most cases of involving misuse can be traced to illegally made fentanyl, the CDC says.

Contributing: KHOU-TV, Houston