One day in September, 2001 ,a 7-month-old son of an ABC producer in Manhattan spent time at the network offices. He developed a rash, and was hospitalized with an unknown ailment soon after the visit. He was later diagnosed with cutaneous anthrax. This was the beginning of the anthrax scare created by terrorists throughout the USA and the rest of the world.
The forced closure of Capitol Hill, the building that is home to both houses of the US Congress, has confirmed perhaps the worst fears of US Congress, has confirmed perhaps the worst fears of US officials; that their country now faces a bioterrorist attack. In all, 44 cases of anthrax attacks have been detected so far, including one death. The majority of cases in the US have surfaced at institutions of influence or prominence. Apart from the mail sent to the senators, letters laced with the bacteria were sent to the offices of the ABC and NBC television networks and The New York Times. Meanwhile, police in Japan, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Australia have also been investigating suspicious substances either sent through the mail or left at public places -- one case of anthrax contamination has surfaced outside the US, in Kenya.