U.S. Continues Biological Warfare Research

merryprankster writes "Researchers at Saint Louis University have engineered a strain of mouse-pox virus which kills 100% of animals it infects - even when the mice have been treated with vaccination and anti-virals. The deadliness of the virus is related to the addition of a protein IL-4 which shuts down cell-mediated immune response. The engineered virus is not contagious and does not affect humans but the research has drawn some condemnation as being dangerous and unnecessary."

Comments

Biased Much?

[Necromancyr]

Let's see...a researcher at a University is working with a strain of virus to develop better and stronger immunization agents. To do this he needs to figure out what he might be up against that terrorists might feasibly make. The ignorance of the poster, Michael, on science is glaring and obvious. The government funds tons of research every year - it's called grants. If you want to say they are funding bioweapons research look in military R&D labs, not in a University environment. Since the US has basically said they will not do bioweapons research, don't you think doing research in such a public way would be a bit obvious? I mean, getting a grant, publishing papers, etc. on this kind of obliterates the 'secrecy' that would be needed. And, part of the VAST majority of grant stipulations is that you must publish your results. Then again, the poster checked into all of this before making hs accusatory and 100% factual title right? Or...he at least read the article...right?

Re:wow, not only did you not RTFA...

[SealBeater]

Yea, and it also states in the article "The new virus, which is about to be
tested on animals, should be lethal only to mice. Just like
the introduction of rabbits to Australia shouldn't have any
negative effects on the native ecosystem. When are we going to stop being so
fucking stupid? So we create a lethal virus so we can develop cures for it.
What, do you think we can develop and cure everything? The introduction of a
different protein can negate any cure we develop. Seriously, think about it.
All of you idiots who are going "Oh, it's ok, it's good cause it
could help us develop a cure are fucking idiots. There is no
cure now and it has a 100% fatality rate. Aren't mice used for research cause
they are very simular to humans in their responses? Idiots.

Go ahead and mod this down as flamebait, it doesn't change the fact that this
is really fucking stupid. There are enougth things out there that are lethal,
we don't need to be making anything more. I wonder if it's been tested on
humans yet, to see if it in fact is lethal. Who wants to be the first to test
it out?

SealBeater