# Anthrax infections confirmed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 12, 2001, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106 "2001-10-12T19:09:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/21 "2001-10-15T14:43:51Z")
Those who have come in contact with spores work in the media (Tabloids, NBC, and possibly the NY Times) or a high-profile corporation (Microsoft). According to the CDC, Anthrax spores are very hard to obtain. According to the CDC, Anthrax spores are very hard to obtain. It _could_ be that this isn’t a massive coincidence but rather a planned attack, not to kill but to create panic. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/22 "2001-10-15T15:15:53Z")
A thought I had was that it could be a way to divert FBI resources - send out a few envelopes with anthrax, then when people know that “white powder” is a threat, send out a bunch of letters with powdered sugar or pudding mix. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/23 "2001-10-15T15:16:40Z")
😃 Double posts are bad enough, now I’m repeating myself in the same post?! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/24 "2001-10-15T17:09:40Z")
[Possible anthrax mail in the US Captiol.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62204-2001Oct15.html) ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/25 "2001-10-16T00:18:16Z")
MSNBC just reported that the child of an ABC employee has contracted anthrax. A toddler child who had gone to work with his/her parent. The cutaneous kind. But the kid is really, really sick anyway, and being treated. Took the doctors awhile to figure out that it was anthrax, because, well, anthrax wasn’t really something that had occurred to the right away. Not something that kids normally get. ABC staffers just found out about this a few hours ago. That makes me mad. Kids. Dammit, kids. Grrrrrrr! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/26 "2001-10-23T20:06:13Z")
Traces of anthrax have just been found in a mail processing center that serves the White House. Officials found the bacteria on an automated mail opening machine but are not sure how it got there. [Cite](http://www.msnbc.com/m/lv/default.asp?0cm=c40). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/27 "2001-10-23T20:10:19Z")
Oh, and a test of the air quality within the White House has returned negative for anthrax. ---
**Author:** ![Pucette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@Pucette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucette)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106/28 "2001-10-23T20:35:46Z")
I’m somehow surprised that more people haven’t caught it. Are there just not that many spores being sent, so once a few people catch it that’s it? they’re all used up? Or are people just carrying them around without getting infected? It’s very draining to keep forcing myself to think of this as not a big deal, when it’s obviously got _some_ trappings of one… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anthrax-infections-confirmed/87106.md?page=1)