Anthrax intentional release

On October 4, 2001, the CDC and their state and local partners reported a case of inhalational anthrax in Florida (11). Over the following several weeks, pnblic health anthorities reported additional cases from Florida and New York City. Investigations revealed that the intentional release of Bacillus anthracis was responsible for these cases (12). By November 9, 22 cases (17 confirmed and five suspected) of bioterrorism-related anthrax were reported from Washington DC, Florida, New Jersey, and New York City (13). Ten of these cases were the inhalational form, resnlting in four deaths the other 12 cases were cutaneous anthrax. Of the ten inhalation cases, most were people who had processed, handled, or received letters containing B. anthracis spores. 

In an average year, the chance that any one individual in the United States will contract anthrax is extremely low—about one in about 300 million. This year, even with the intentional release of Bacillus anthracis spores in some environments, the nationwide risk is still extremely low—about 23 cases in about 300 million people. 

In 2001, the first case of intentional anthrax release in the USA occurred. In October and November of that year, 11 confirmed cases of inhalation anthrax and 11 confirmed or suspected cases of cutaneous anthrax were reported in postal workers and others who handled mail that had been deliberately contaminated with anthrax spores (Abalakin et al., 1990). These contaminated letters were mailed anonymously to several news media and Federal government offices. The letters contained handwritten threats as well as cryptic references to the terrorist attacks on September 11 of that year. The anthrax spores were analyzed and determined to be of the Ames variety, the strain which originated in the USA and had been acquired by Army research institutes for vaeeine development. 

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