Scientists not able to determine source of anthrax in 2001 attacks

The origin of the anthrax found in the 2001 anthrax assaults is still a puzzle to researchers and investigators. The strain of the disease was comparable to a strain that the prime suspect, Bruce Ivins, worked with on a daily basis as a microbiologist employed by the Army. Ivins killed himself before charges could possibly be made, so nobody will ever know if he was the culprit. People have taken out huge sums of money in pay day loans to finance finding where this strand was created with no luck.

Findings on anthrax through FBI opposite of findings from National Academy of Sciences

Though the official investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks is functionally over, the NAS has just released a report that calls findings of the FBI into question, according to USA Today. The National Research Council conducted its own review of the FBI investigation and found some disparities that existed between what the FBI and the review panel concluded. Dr. Bruce Ivins as a microbiologist for the Army had some anthrax in a flask for the United States Army Medical Research Institution for Infection Disease. These seemed to have similarities to the other anthrax spores. It wasn't confirmed the exact same anthrax that Dr. Ivins has were used even though there were similarities in the National Academy of Sciences report.

Still haven't proved Ivins innocence

The National Academy of Sciences report didn’t address whether Dr. Ivins was the culprit and dealt only with the science, in accordance with the New York Times. The relationship between strains was "consistent with and supports" the similarities. This was something the National Academy of Sciences concluded. However, the panel took the FBI to task for failing to use newer and more accurate methods to identify the strain of anthrax. Dr. Bruce Ivins committed suicide in 2008 before he could be prosecuted, and the FBI closed its case.

Still mysterious anthrax attack

The investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks led to the founding of the new science of microbial forensics — tracing the origins of infectious agents. The scientific techniques the FBI used were applauded in the report though, the Washington Post report. The anthrax assaults of 2001 killed five individuals and sickened 17 with Bacillus Anthraces spores, which causes the dangerous and often fatal disease anthrax.

Citations

USA Today

usatoday.com/tech/science/2011-02-15-anthrax_N.htm

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/16/us/16anthrax.html

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/AR2011021502251.html?hpid=topnews