Article] US develops lethal new viruses

This type of research of creating more deadly diseases through genetic engineering should be
stopped. Buller's explanation his research is necessary to explore what bioterrorists might do
serves what purpose? Hey, private and government researchers will do the leg work for the
bioterrorists. Who knows, maybe they'll even come up with a geetically engineered disease which
would wipe out most if not all of the human race. Imagine what could happen if this knowledge fell
into the hands of bioterrorists? Hell, its dangerous even without the bioterrorists. Imagine this
genetically engineered disease which had the potential of wiping out the human race accidentally
escaping. Also, there is the danger of accidentally creating such a lethal genetically engineered
virus and not being aware of its full effects.

I'm all for research in genetics but this is one area where such research should be made illegal. To
offer no more compelling reason than, "This is what bioterrorists might do" doesn't cut it.

Of course, making something illegal doesn't necesarily mean some researchers might go ahead anyway
but that's no reason for representatives not to entertain legislation making it illegal to
genetically engineer diseases to purposefully make them more lethal.

I assure you this is a much more signifigant issue which is currently being unaddressed as far as
I'm aware than the recent ban on partial birth abortion.

Michael

US develops lethal new viruses
19:00 29 October 03 Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition. Subscribe and get 4 free issues. A
scientist funded by the US government has deliberately created an extremely deadly form of
mousepox, a relative of the smallpox virus, through genetic engineering. The new virus kills all
mice even if they have been given antiviral drugs as well as a vaccine that would normally
protect them. The work has not stopped there. The cowpox virus, which infects a range of animals
including humans, has been genetically altered in a similar way. The new virus, which is about to
be tested on animals, should be lethal only to mice, Mark Buller of the University of St Louis
told New Scientist. He says his work is necessary to explore what bioterrorists might do. But the
research brings closer the prospect of pox viruses that cause only mild infections in humans
being turned into diseases lethal even to people who have been vaccinated. And vaccines are
currently our main defence against smallpox and its relatives, such as the monkeypox that reached
the US this year. Some researchers think the latest research is risky and unnecessary. "I have
great concern about doing this in a pox virus that can cross species," said Ian Ramshaw of the
Australian National University in Canberra on being told of Buller's work. Ramshaw was a member
of the team that accidentally discovered how to make mousepox more deadly (New Scientist, 13
January 2001). But the modified mousepox his team created was not as deadly as Buller's. Read the
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