Accident at Compound 19: Unraveling a Cold War Medical Mystery

Abstract

In April 1979, an anthrax outbreak in the Soviet city of Sverdlovsk claimed at least 68 lives. After news of the incident spread, the US government argued that it was the result of an accident at a biological warfare research facility. The Soviets claimed it was a result of local residents consuming infected meat. It would be over a decade before the truth of what happened in Sverdlovsk was established. Once it was, the revelations helped unearth one of the Cold War’s most terrifying secrets.