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May 10, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Clues to Anthrax Attacks Found"

Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) (05/10/02) P. A2; Weiss, Rick

A detailed genetic analysis of the bacteria used in the 2001 anthrax attacks by the Institute for Genomic Research has found a number of clues that could ultimately reveal the identities of the perpetrators of the attack.  The analysis has revealed tiny but consistent differences between the strain of anthrax developed by the U.S. Army at Fort Dietrich and the strain used in the bioterrorist attack.  According to the researchers who carried out the analysis, these differences make it certain that the strain is a direct descendent of the strain developed by the U.S. Army, and it could help investigators narrow down which of the 20 or so laboratories known to be in possession of the army's strain was the one the terrorist's microbes came from.  Claire Fraser and Timothy Read, the leaders of the team that carried out the analysis, said the detailed genetic data they provided might also help the FBI rule out certain laboratories as the source of the bioterrorist strain and highlight others.  A number of scientists have also said that the analysis techniques developed by the institute could assist researchers in determining the genetic variations that account for the differences in antibiotic resistance and virulence among different strains of a disease. This in turn could speed up the development of detection systems, new medicines, and vaccines.

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