Packages supposedly from the 'Klingerman Foundation' contain a deadly virus that causes dysentery.

See the email here.

• There is no mention of the Klingerman virus in the medical publication database PubMed.
• There is no mention of the Klingerman Foundation or the Klingerman virus in the news databases of the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Washington Post or CNN.
• There is no mention of any incidents at the web sites of the Centers for Disease Control or the United States Postal Service.

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have revived this hoax, though with a new name: the 'Kinderman' virus.

There is something somewhat unsatisfying to a debunking that lacks positive disproof. However, the notion that some nefarious individual or individuals could engage in random biological warfare killing 7 and sickening 23 without the news media noticing it is laughable. Compare the attention given to various product tampering incidents in recent years, especially the Tylenol murders.

Of course this hoax contains the #1 sign of Internet bogusity, "PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT!" The Urban Legend Zeitgeist has never, ever seen an email that contained this admonition that was within spitting distance of being true and not already amply covered in other news sources.

• "FALSE "KLINGERMAN VIRUS" E-MAIL RUMOR" from the United States Postal Service
• "False E-mail Report about 'Klingerman Virus'" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• "This One'll Kill You! - The Klingerman Virus" from About.com
• "Klingerman Virus" from the Urban Legends Reference Pages

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