Citation

Butler JC, Cohen ML, Friedman CR, Scripp RM, Watz CG. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2002; 8(10): 1152-1156.

Affiliation

Centers for Desease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. JButler@cdcgov

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12396931

PMCID

PMC2730308

Abstract

The biological attacks with powders containing Bacillus anthracis sent through the mail during September and October 2001 led to unprecedented public health and law enforcement investigations, which involved thousands of investigators from federal, state, and local agencies. Following recognition of the first cases of anthrax in Florida in early October 2001, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were mobilized to assist investigators from state and local public health and law enforcement agencies. Although public health and criminal investigations have been conducted in concert in the past, the response to the anthrax attacks required close collaboration because of the immediate and ongoing threat to public safety. We describe the collaborations between CDC and FBI during the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks and highlight the challenges and successes of public health and law enforcement collaborations in general.

Language: en