Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Miss Marple
Miss Marple,
I've heard others bantering about a conjectured possibility of having a "mutated variety of smallpox". I highly doubt it. Testing of such a strain would require human subjects and the testing organization would need to be certain that their entire staff was previously immunized against the disease. The molecular engineering and testing of the product is not straightforward and it would be difficult to contain the virus from the general population. So, no, I doubt this is a likely scenario at this juncture. In the future as certain biotechnologies become more widespread (and we may want to assess our import/export restrictions on some molecular biology reagents and equipment), this threat may become more likely. However, I really doubt the ability to use this technique without having significant collateral damage to your own side (who are presumably unimmunized also).
57 posted on 10/05/2002 9:45:39 PM PDT by bonesmccoy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies ]


To: bonesmccoy
Read Ken Abilek's _Biohazard_ and Jonathan Tucker's _Scourge_.
63 posted on 10/05/2002 10:03:17 PM PDT by Thud
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson