Full Version: Vaccine-evading virus
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-1...monkeypox_x.htm
After reading this article, I have to question the rationale behind creating something like this. The article claims that the virus can not be passed to humans, but what about other animals or even a mutated strain of this virus that can be passed to humans?
How can somebody justify the creation of a new virus, especially one made specifically to avoid vaccination? Don't we have enough things to worry about and try to overcome without creating new viruses to contend with?
After reading this article, I have to question the rationale behind creating something like this. The article claims that the virus can not be passed to humans, but what about other animals or even a mutated strain of this virus that can be passed to humans?
How can somebody justify the creation of a new virus, especially one made specifically to avoid vaccination? Don't we have enough things to worry about and try to overcome without creating new viruses to contend with?
Honestly, I think the only bigger idiots than these scientists are the idiots that funded this. They created a virtually invincble virus to make a statement to the terrorists? Do they think the terrorists will say "Oh no, they can beat viruses, we better not mess with them"? They could be doing research on curring AIDS or cancer. Instead they are creating MORE diseases. Why don't they just start shooting us while they're at it? 
QUOTE(slim @ Oct 31 2003, 04:26 PM)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-1...monkeypox_x.htm
How can somebody justify the creation of a new virus, especially one made specifically to avoid vaccination? Don't we have enough things to worry about and try to overcome without creating new viruses to contend with?
How can somebody justify the creation of a new virus, especially one made specifically to avoid vaccination? Don't we have enough things to worry about and try to overcome without creating new viruses to contend with?
Actually they did this for 2 reasons:
1: To show it can be done and that anyone can do it.
2: if someone DOES do it, then they need to learn how to defeat it if it gets loose and does infect humans
This reminds me of Stephen King's The Stand. The gov't created a superflu, which, like the AIDS virus, changes whenever the body creates antibodies, thus weakening the immune system to the point of death. In the book, 99% of the world died because someone dropped the bottle it was in and the gates to the facility didn't shut the place down until a guard, who was infected in an instant but didn't know it at the time, got out and spread it to others.
Anyways, we need to learn how to defeat genetically altered bugs like this so we can kill them when and if they ever pop up in the world. Our survival depends on it. The point of the bug in Stephen King's book was for biological warfare. The point of the bug that scientists created in reality is for science and survival.
QUOTE
Anyways, we need to learn how to defeat genetically altered bugs like this so we can kill them when and if they ever pop up in the world. Our survival depends on it. The point of the bug in Stephen King's book was for biological warfare. The point of the bug that scientists created in reality is for science and survival.
Well, they have popped up now!
I don't buy into this. There are plenty of known viruses that could be used as weapons. These would be much cheaper and easier to obtain for terrorists to use than it would be for them to create a new virus. Why not focus efforts and resources on taking care of the known rather than creating a whole new breed of virus that could fall into the hands of enemies? They may be able to create virii similar to this, but that doesn't mean we should make it for them!
This seems like the case of a man starting a fire and then claiming he is a hero because he put it out!
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