Lethal Virus Reconstructed

[Skydiver]

The Sunshine Project
News Release
9 October 2003
Lethal Virus from 1918 Genetically Reconstructed
US Army scientists create "Spanish Flu" virus in laboratory - medical benefit questionable

(Austin and Hamburg, 9 October 2003) – The 'Spanish Flu' influenza virus that killed 20-40 million people in 1918 is currently under reconstruction. Several genes of the extraordinarily lethal 1918 flu virus have been isolated and introduced into contemporary flu strains. These proved to be lethal for mice, while virus constructs with genes from a current flu virus types had hardly any effect. These experiments may easily be abused for military purposes, but provide little benefit from a medical or public health point of view.

<...>

"This kind of research is creating a vicious circle, and could prompt a race by biodefense scientists to genetic engineer unthinkable diseases", says Edward Hammond of the Sunshine Project, "What disease comes after influenza? Biodefense laboratories must not become self-fulfilling prophesy centers. The world does not need biodefense programs to create a 'genetically engineered disease gap'."

http://www.sunshine-project.org/publications/pr/pr091003.html

http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,268984,00.html

[dfong63]

1. next up: bush will claim saddam hussein had a "program" to do this

[soothsayer]

2. oh, hooray! More oppty to accidentally wipe out the world

Move over HIV, SARS, mad cow---there's a new kid in town.

[Journeyman]

3. Our capabilities surpassed our intellect years ago. . .

we are only waiting now for our ignorance to destroy us.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. Twelve Monkeys, anyone?

I'm depressed. Can anyone give me GOOD news for a change? :cry:

[hang a left]

5. I read about this some months ago at the

fromthewilderness site in the article about all those deaded microbiologists. This stuff is very scary. Population Redux

[peterh]

6. Interesting times indeed….

While condemning those with “dangerous designs”….we convert those designs into reality….the madness is staggering.

[Snow]

7. In defense of the reconstructors....

and while I'm not sure but what the above citations are maybe exaggerating things a bit, still...
The biggest, scariest disease on the planet for humans in terms of potential for world-wide, fast, enormous numbers of deaths is???
(hint - not ebola, not anthrax, not even AIDS)
Influenza!

And the worst flu outbreak we know of was that 1918 run - there've been some bad ones since, but that was really bad, especially in how it killed people who usually don't get killed by flu outbreaks, ie late teens - early 40's age group. So, question is, WTH was it? Therefore, the interest in trying to retrieve it somehow - whether through digging up graves in Greenland, lab rebuilding, all of the above. And why would we do such a silly thing? Well, it's the only way we can make a vaccine before actually seeing the thing surface again.

So is this a good enough reason to play with nitroglycerine? Dunno - I'm inclined to think so, but the thought of bad guys getting hold of this and using it for a weapon is enough to give me the heebee-jeebees. Of course, something like this would doubtless turn right around and bite the bad guys. Unless the bad guys first got themselves all vaccinated.........

[DeathvadeR]

8. Why are we still creating Biological weapons? N/T

I thought we are trying to end this sort of thing??