By Rupa Shenoy, Minnesota Public Radio News

St. Paul — The Minnesota Department of Health and U.S. postal workers responded to a fictional airborne anthrax attack in the Twin Cities this weekend. The scenario is designed to prepare officials for a biological terror attack.

Officials called the test a success. “Operation Medicine Delivery” was the first full-scale test of a strategy for distributing medicine in the event of an epidemic or large-scale anthrax attack. About 300 mail carriers on Sunday delivered empty pill bottles to thousands of homes in parts of St. Paul, north Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Golden Valley.

Claire Thompson is one of those who found a small white pill bottle in her mailbox Sunday. The label said “This is only a test.”

Thompson handed the empty bottle to her 1-year-old child and it immediately became a toy. The family got a flier in the mail a week ago telling them to expect the bottle.

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