Fear of Bioterrorism and Implications for Public Health
After the human anthrax cases and exposures in 2001, the Illinois Department of Public Health received an increasing number of environmental and human samples (1,496 environmental submissions, all negative for Bacillus anthracis). These data demonstrate increased volume of submissions to a public health laboratory resulting from fear of bioterrorism.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the discovery of human anthrax cases and exposures several weeks later on the East Coast, Illinois Department of Public Health's (IDPH) Division of Laboratories received environmental and human samples for analysis as part of suspected bioterrorism investigations. The large number of samples provided an opportunity to learn about the possible presence of Bacillus anthracis in the environment, to gain insight into the frequency of true versus perceived bioterrorist events, and to observe and respond to the impact of widely publicized terrorism alerts.