Feds rule out natural cause of anthrax

Newsday

Federal authorities Tuesday said they have ruled out obvious environmental causes as a source for the anthrax found at a south Florida publishing company, and increasingly suspect that a person or group may be responsible.

“Next to nil” was how Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, characterized the odds that the sudden appearance of the deadly bacteria occurred naturally, according to Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., who said he met with Koplan Tuesday.

Meanwhile, some experts suggested Tuesday there is mounting concern among investigators that whoever’s responsible for the anthrax demonstrated a high degree of sophistication in its use. The concern arises from confirmation by the CDC that bacteria found on the computer keyboard of a man who died of the disease were in powder form.

If this is so, one source said, then “someone knew how to brew it, dry it, cake, grind and powder it. So they know what they’re doing.”

CDC spokeswoman Barbara Reynolds confirmed the report Tuesday afternoon, noting, “Yes, a powder,” when asked directly what form the anthrax contamination had taken.

The source, who is an expert on anthrax production and consults for government investigators, framed a scenario that others have suggested is being closely considered.

Noting that Bob Stevens, a photo editor who died from the disease, and Ernesto Blanco, a mailroom worker who carried it, worked together, he suggested the anthrax may have arrived in the mail.

“You have dried spores delivered to Stevens by Blanco,” the source said. “He opened it, spores are expelled on Stevens and Blanco and in that work area.”

Dr. Michael Osterholm, a bioterrorism expert at the University of Minnesota, said the very fact that powder was found means “somebody had anthrax, and they made it work.” This means, he added, that “you can’t say (that use of anthrax as a weapon) is some kind of magical myth anymore.”

Talk to us

More in Local News

Cars move across Edgewater Bridge toward Everett on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, in Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edgewater Bridge redo linking Everett, Mukilteo delayed until mid-2024

The project, now with an estimated cost of $27 million, will detour West Mukilteo Boulevard foot and car traffic for a year.

Lynn Deeken, the Dean of Arts, Learning Resources & Pathways at EvCC, addresses a large gathering during the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Cascade Learning Center on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at Everett Community College in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
New EvCC learning resource center opens to students, public

Planners of the Everett Community College building hope it will encourage students to use on-campus tutoring resources.

Everett Police Chief Dan Templeman announces his retirement after 31 years of service at the Everett City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett police chief to retire at the end of October

Chief Dan Templeman announced his retirement at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. He has been chief for nine years.

Boeing employees watch the KC-46 Pegasus delivery event  from the air stairs at Boeing on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 in Everett, Wa. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
Boeing’s iconic Everett factory tour to resume in October

After a three-year hiatus, tours of the Boeing Company’s enormous jet assembly plant are back at Paine Field.

A memorial for a 15-year-old shot and killed last week is set up at a bus stop along Harrison Road on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Teen boy identified in fatal shooting at Everett bus stop

Bryan Tamayo-Franco, 15, was shot at a Hardeson Road bus stop earlier this month. Police arrested two suspects.

This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP)
A new movie based on OceanGate’s Titan submersible tragedy is in the works: ‘Salvaged’

MindRiot announced the film, a fictional project titled “Salvaged,” on Friday.

Mike Bredstrand, who is trying to get back his job with Lake Stevens Public Works, stands in front of the department’s building on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. Bredstrand believes his firing in July was an unwarranted act of revenge by the city. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens worker was fired after getting court order against boss

The city has reportedly spent nearly $60,000 on attorney and arbitration fees related to Mike Bredstrand, who wants his job back.

Chap Grubb, founder and CEO of second-hand outdoor gear store Rerouted, stands inside his new storefront on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Gold Bar, Washington. Rerouted began as an entirely online shop that connected buyers and sellers of used gear.  (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Used outdoor gear shop Rerouted finds a niche in Gold Bar

Seeking to keep good outdoor gear out of landfills, an online reselling business has put down roots in Gold Bar.

Naval Station Everett. (Chuck Taylor / Herald file)
Everett man sentenced to 6 years for cyberstalking ex-wife

Christopher Crawford, 42, was found guilty of sending intimate photos of his ex-wife to adult websites and to colleagues in the Navy.

Most Read