Endospores of the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis '' were used in the 2001 anthrax attacks . The powder found in contaminated postal letters was composed of extracellular anthrax endospores . This intentional distribution lead to 22 known cases of anthrax ( 11 inhalation and 11 cutaneous ) making the case fatality rate among patients with inhalation anthrax 45 % ( 5/11 ) . The six other individuals with inhalation anthrax and all the individuals with cutaneous anthrax recovered . Had it not been for antibiotic therapy many more might have been stricken
2001 anthrax attacks
2001 anthrax attacks
Endospore