NCJ Number
177182
Journal
Security Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Dated: February 1999 Pages: 7-9
Editor(s)
C Baum,
K Hodgson
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article examines the recent flurry of anthrax threats.
Abstract
During the last quarter of 1998 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) examined more than 20 anthrax threats, most of which occurred in California. The threats continued into 1999, with incidents in Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida. The cost of emergency response to biological threats is high, requiring the cooperation of numerous agencies, including local law enforcement, emergency medical response, hospitals, and branch offices of the FBI. Immediate response is followed by days of testing people, facilities and suspected biological agents. So far, all of the reported anthrax incidents have been hoaxes. However, the US Department of Defense has begun a program to vaccinate the entire military force before 2003. Local governments are often overwhelmed by the finances and resources required for a full-scale response, but some preparation would seem to be prudent. Once symptoms of anthrax exposure become apparent, it is too late for treatment and the patient almost always dies.