[Jim Noble]

I spoke with an expert in internal medicine yesterday about whether this new killer disease might possibly be a "man-made disease," or in other words, a possible bio-weapon. After considering the evidence set forth above, he said that, "All the signs are there and it is very disturbing." The doctor declined further comment and preferred not to be quoted on the record.

Well, I am board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Society for Microbiology, and I think the evidence that this is a bioweapon is zero.

And, feel free to quote me.

On the record.

[The Westerner]

I respect your expertise, since I have zero in this area. But it is fascinating when the first person to die from it was a medical professor. Perhaps he was the first noted case, given his stature in the community. Perhaps he had treated someone with the virus, and like so many other medical personnel who've come in contact with it, caught it. Just wondering what you make of this?

[rwfromkansas]

Thanks for the info.

[S.O.S121.500]

Any experience treating S.L.E. induced bronchioitis obliterans deemed unresponsive to steroids?

Cyclophosphamide(sp),(cytoxan) monthly for six months seems too drastic/scarey and isn't approved by the AMA.

[vetvetdoug]

I have serious doubts about a laboratory's capability to even develop such a virus or disease. I am a veterinarian with over 75 hours of college in microbiology alone and a good deal of experience working in the lab with viruses. The chance of this being a random occurrance viral development in nature would be more likely. Nature can mix, mutate and form infectious diseases much better than man. There are viruses out there we haven't even identified that would likely kill half the planet if let loose in an urban environment. This is just a natural occurrance in my opinion and second your motion.

[nomad]

But this does underscore the need to control outlaw regimes like Iraq`s. If people like Dr. Alibek are to be believed, then the former Soviet Union was able to do some monstrous work in the field of bio-engineered weapons, how long ago was that, and more importantly, how many advancements have been made in the field of genetic engineering since? Also please note who has been assisting the Iraqis, (in defiance of sanctions) and take special note of their expertise in the field of genetics and/or bio weapons.

IF someone had the money, the will, and the equipment/expertise-training, (sold by back stabing cheese sniffing, sauerkraut eating, borscht slurping so-called friends) could they do something like this SARS? Or could they do worse, (captain tripps)? I know, I`ve asked a lot of could be, maybe, perhaps, but if some maniacs are willing to fly planes into buildings or feed people into industrial shreaders, (final question) do you think they would hesitate to do it?