September 18, 2001:
“Soon after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, letters laced with anthrax began appearing in the U.S. mail. Five Americans were killed and 17 were sickened in what became the worst biological attacks in U.S. history. The ensuing investigation by the FBI and its partners — code-named ‘Amerithrax’ — has been one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement.” — FBI
Related Resources:
- Amerithrax Investigative Summary
- Overview of the U.S. Public Health System in the Context of Bioterrorism [January 17, 2003]
- U.S. Postal Service Response to the Threat of Bioterrorism through the Mail [February 11, 2002]
- Model Procedures for Responding to a Package with Suspicion of a Biological Threat
- U.S. Biodefense and Homeland Security: Toward Detection and Attribution
- Bioterrorism Threat by Non-State Actors: Hype or Horror?
- HSDL search results for Bioterrorism
Photo: Laboratory technician holding the anthrax-laced letter addressed to Senator Leahy after safely opening it at the U.S. Army’s Fort Detrick bio-medical research laboratory in November 2001 (Credit: FBI)