do a search for tularemia on their homepage for more articles
http://www.sunshine-project.org/publications/pr/pr030707.html,,snip
In addition to lab-acquired infections and exposures, other types of dangerous problems have occurred, such as unauthorized research, equipment malfunction, and disregard for safety protocols:
- In February 2005 at the University of Iowa, researchers performed genetic engineering experiments with the select agent tularemia without permission. They included mixing genes from tularemia species and introducing antibiotic resistance. The University reported the incident to the National Institutes of Health, but public disclosure was (to our knowlege) never made;
http://www.sunshine-project.org/publications/bk/bk12.htmlEmerging Technologies
Genetic Engineering and Biological Weapons
The Sunshine Project
Background Paper #12
November 2003
..snip
II Single Gene Transfer and Similar Genetic Engineering of BW Agents
In the debate about genetic engineering and biological weapons it has often been stated that natural pathogens are sufficiently dangerous and deadly so that genetic engineering is not necessary for effective biological warfare. This is true: biological weapons can indeed be used without even any systematic knowledge on microbiology, as shown by their effective use in past centuries. <7>
Genetic engineering, however, has been employed in offensive biowarfare programs in order to make biowarfare agents more effective. In the former Soviet Union a variety of such experiments were undertaken. Three examples:
Bacteria causing unusual symptoms: Researchers from Obolensk near Moscow inserted a gene into the bacterium Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia and a well known biological weapon agent. The gene made the bacteria produce beta-endorphin, an endogenous human drug, which caused changes in the behaviour of mice when infected with the transgenic bacteria. <8> According to the published results, the endorphin gene was not introduced into a fully virulent strain, but only into a vaccine strain.
If inserted into virulent F. tularensis, the victims would not show the usual symptoms of tularemia, but instead unusual symptoms that could obscure diagnosis and delay therapy. Development of symptom-altered BW agents has been identified as one possible application of genetic engineering by the US Department of Defense. <9>