Remember this? The anthrax scare

The year 2001 was also the year of the anthrax scare. Nationwide, four people died and 13 were sickened by anthrax-tainted mail, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

State officials encouraged Iowans not to overreact to the reports and the virus' discovery in mail sent to U.S. senators.

Then Gov. Tom Vilsack ordered the Iowa State Patrol and National Guard to guard Iowa sites where anthrax is present. One of them was the state Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa, where a “few thimblesful” of the virus was stored, according to its director. They pose no public health risk, she added.

A number of suspicious packages containing white powder were received by area businesses. None of them was determined to be anthrax.