October 5, 2001

On this day 10 years ago, Robert Stevens died. He was the photo editor for a Florida tabloid. You probably don't know him, but he is significant because he was the first victim of the 2001 anthrax attacks. Overall, five were killed, but 17 others were infected, many of whom later reported health problems.

Five letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to the The New York Post, The National Inquirer, ABC News, CBS News, and NBC News. A second pair of letters were mailed three weeks later to Tom Daschle, the Senate Majority Leader, and Patrick Leahy, the head of Senate Judiciary Committee. Such bio-terrorism shook a still-sensitive nation recovering from the 9/11 attacks and led to one of the most complex investigations in the history of the FBI.

This cost of decontamination amounted to nearly $250 million. The government increased bio-warfare research spending by $1.5 billion as well. The Project Bioshield Act was passed in 2004, which would provide $5.6 billion in spending for new vaccines and drugs over the next year. The attacks contributed to the downward spiral that led to the Iraq War.

I would not appreciate being infected with anthrax.