Fan Favorite | Culture Clash
Summary
This episode recounts the 1984 Rajneeshi bioterrorism attack in The Dalles, Oregon, where commune members sprayed salmonella on salad bars to sicken voters and influence a local election. The story follows the investigation by Dr. Lawrence Foster and Dr. Michael Skeels, who initially suspected food contamination but eventually identified the deliberate biological release. The narrative details the chaos in local hospitals, the closure of the implicated Shakey's Pizza, and the eventual federal raid that uncovered the cult's lab and confirmed the largest bioterrorism incident in U.S. history.
Topics discussed
Cold open: Chaos in the emergency room
Sponsorships: PrizePix and Audible Dracula
Introduction to Mr. Bollin's Medical Mysteries
Dave Lutkin and the tension with the Rajneeshi commune
Dave and Sandy fall ill after lunch
Hospital visit and salmonella diagnosis
Dr. Foster investigates Shakey's Pizza Parlor
Reputation damage and angry calls to the restaurant
Sponsorships: Killer Psyche and A Ghost in Your Ear
Outbreak expands; water supply theory proposed
Lab analysis and the decision to call the CDC
CDC findings suggest deliberate contamination
Outbreak ends without a confirmed source
Federal raid on the Rajneeshi commune lab
The motive, arrests, and aftermath of the bioterrorism
Episode credits and disclaimers
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