"It was a mystery. We absolutely had no idea why this gentleman had acquired anthrax" — Dr. Paul Keim
What to listen for:
One week after 9/11, letters laced with anthrax spores began arriving at newsrooms and Senate offices across the country. By the time it was over, five people were dead, seventeen more were sickened, and the United States was confronting its first major act of bioterrorism in real time.
This episode traces the anthrax attacks, from a mysterious diagnosis in Florida to the detective work that led investigators to Bruce Ivins, and asks what we can learn from the event 25 years later.
Guests:
- Dr. Paul Keim: Distinguished Professor, Geneticist and Microbiologist, whose lab provided critical DNA analysis to the FBI’s investigation
- Dr. Daniel R. Lucey: Clinical Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases; Chief of Infectious Disease Service at the largest hospital in Washington, D.C. during the attacks
- Dr. Asha M. George: Director, Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security