1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack
| 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack | |
|---|---|
Four of the restaurants in The Dalles affected by the attack
|
|
| Location | The Dalles, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°36′4″N 121°10′58″W / 45.60111°N 121.18278°WCoordinates: 45°36′4″N 121°10′58″W / 45.60111°N 121.18278°W |
| Date | August 29 – October 10, 1984 |
| Target | Voting population, Wasco County |
|
Attack type
|
Bioterrorism |
| Weapons | Salmonella enterica Typhimurium |
|
Non-fatal injuries
|
751 people infected, 45 hospitalizations |
| Perpetrators | Rajneeshee commune management |
The 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack was the food poisoning of 751 individuals in The Dalles, Oregon, through the deliberate contamination of salad bars at ten local restaurants with salmonella. A leading group of followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later known as Osho) had hoped to incapacitate the voting population of the city so that their own candidates would win the 1984 Wasco County elections. The incident was the first and single largest bioterrorist attack in United States history. The attack is one of only two confirmed terrorist uses of biological weapons to harm humans since 1945, the other being the 2001 anthrax attacks across the USA.
Having previously gained political control of Antelope, Oregon, Rajneesh's followers, who were based in nearby Rajneeshpuram, sought election to two of the three seats on the Wasco County Circuit Court that were up for election in November 1984. Fearing they would not gain enough votes, Rajneeshpuram officials decided to incapacitate voters in The Dalles, the largest population center in Wasco County. The chosen biological agent was Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, which was first delivered through glasses of water to two County Commissioners and then, on a larger scale, at salad bars and in salad dressing.
As a result of the attack, 751 people contracted salmonellosis, 45 of whom were hospitalized. There were no fatalities. Although an initial investigation by the Oregon Public Health Division and the Centers for Disease Control did not rule out deliberate contamination, the agents and fact of contamination were only discovered a year later. On February 28, 1985, Congressman James H. Weaver gave a speech in the United States House of Representatives in which he "accused the Rajneeshees of sprinkling salmonella culture on salad bar ingredients in eight restaurants".
...
Wikipedia