22. Salmonella Poisoning by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Cult Against Civilians in Oregon, 1984: 751 Wounded
The Dalles is a town in Oregon that became the target of a bioterror attack by a cult known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, named after its founder. The group hoped to cause the city’s population to become so sick that they would be unable to participate in the next election, enabling the group’s candidate to become elected easily.
Members of the cult used the biological agent salmonella to poison the people of The Dalles. They sprinkled the agent on salad bars and in salad dressing, and also put it in water glasses. All told, 751 people became sick, though there were no deaths. The founder of the cult accused his followers of carrying out the attack and urged the government to investigate.
