In my humble opinion, the 1990s were an incredible time to be alive. It was the decade that kept on giving: boy band fever, acid wash denim, sensational cartoons (Samurai Pizza Cats, anyone?), peak professional wrestling, the World Wide Web, Y2K hysteria, and…anthrax? That’s right – in 90s America, anthrax hoaxes were reaching a record high.

Exhausted public officials were responding as best as they could. It took considerable resources to decontaminate sites of potential anthrax release, answer endless questions from the anxious public, and provide the right amount of information to empower people to protect themselves without eliciting fear. The public were also tired of being caught in the crossfire of relentless anthrax hoaxes. By the time the Millenium rolled around, the idea of a biological weapons attack with anthrax had been well played out.

And then in 2001 the nightmare became a reality. What started with a Florida man falling mysteriously ill ended up becoming a national catastrophe. It was the birth of the Select Agent Program, and the scandalous climax to the anthrax saga. But is this the reputation that Bacillus anthracis deserves?

So, I know it’s a bit late for Valentine’s Day. But if I had to label humanity’s relationship with anthrax, I’d say, “It’s complicated”. We have, as a society, nurtured an intense and complex partnership with Bacillus anthracis, which has contributed directly to the deaths of hundreds of innocent people.

This edition of Into the Archives explores our deadly love of anthrax. What makes it so appealing? Why is it so dangerous? Have we learned from the past? These are all questions that I sought to answer in this two-part article.

Always bringing us back to the point that it takes two to tango – a naturally occurring substance with deadly qualities, and humans determined to utilise those properties for their agendas.

Has this changed the way you think about Bacillus anthracis? Share your thoughts with me and sign up to receive future editions of Into the Archives by joining the mailing list!

Taking things for granted is a recurring theme in this series. For a lot of the younger scientists and biosafety professionals, it’s difficult to imagine a time before the biohazard symbol existed. But it wasn’t that long ago – the biohazard symbol is a mere 58 years old.

What do we know about the people who created it? And what would they think of the symbol’s enduring presence in popular culture, far beyond the likes of any other hazard symbol?

I hope you enjoy reading about this piece of history, because I certainly enjoyed creating it for you!