FBI and Environmental Protection Agency personnel work to identify anthrax-contaminated mail at a containment facility.

Anthrax Incidents, 2001

Between early October and early December 2001, five people died from anthrax infection, and at least 13 others contracted the disease in Washington, D.C.; New York City; Trenton, New Jersey; and Boca Raton, Florida. Anthrax spores were found in a number of government buildings and postal facilities in these and other areas. Most of the confirmed anthrax cases were tied to contaminated letters mailed to media personalities and U.S. Senators. Thousands of people were potentially exposed to the spores and took preventive antibiotics. Numerous mail facilities and government buildings were shut down for investigation and decontamination.

In the wake of these incidents, federal, state, and local emergency-response agencies across the United States had to respond to thousands of calls to investigate suspicious packages, unknown powders, and other suspected exposures. Almost all of these incidents turned out not to involve an actual biohazard. Nevertheless, emergency responders typically treated each call as entailing a serious health and safety risk.