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U.S. Continues Biological Warfare Research

Posted by michael on from the die-mice-die dept.

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."

4 of 945 comments (clear)

  1. Original Mousepox/IL4 paper by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 4, Informative
    The full text of the 2001 paper

    Jackson, R. J., A. J. Ramsay, C. D. Christensen, S. Beaton, D. F. Hall, and I. A. Ramshaw. 2001. Expression of mouse interleukin-4 by a recombinant ectromelia virus suppresses cytolytic lymphocyte responses and overcomes genetic resistance to mousepox. J. Virol. 75:1205-1210


    is available for your enjoyment.
  2. Re:Seriously... by hype7 · · Score: 4, Informative
    Are you sure you would want a man-made virus that is capable of wiping out an entire species introduced into your country?


    They already exist, but rarely are they capable of killing entire species. They're either too efficient (kill too fast), not efficient enough (one area dies out, and by the time it's moved on uninfected animals move back into the old area), or the animals develop a resistance to it.

    See: myxomatosis, calicivirus.

    -- james
  3. Re:We need this by Lane.exe · · Score: 4, Informative
    What nation still hasn't signed the Biological Weapons Convention treaty, despite being the ONLY industrial nation not to do so? THE US!

    Yup. We develop the weapons and refuse to stop because of the pharmaceutical industry and the KILLING they make off of germ warfare (and its side products, vaccines and medicine). Welcome to America.

    --
    IAALS.
  4. Re:Seriously... by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Informative


    Umm you are kidding that the US has a strong human rights record ? And has not done anything bad on an international scale recently.

    Camp X-Ray ?
    Chile ?
    Iran-Contra ?
    Cuba, Bay of Pigs?
    Panama ?
    Saddam Hussein ?
    Grenada ?

    Shall I go on ? To say that the US has not commited acts that would result in the condemnation and sanction if commited by a smaller nation is to ignore recent history.

    Saddam Hussein was first recruited by the US Goverment to assassinate the democratically elected head of Iraq. The US did deals with Iran to supply arms to terrorists in central america. The US funded a drug running leader of panama until he refused to listen... then invaded the country. In Chile the US backed a coup that overthrew a democratically elected goverment and replaced it with a facist dictator who murdered thousands of his own people.

    This is NOT a good record.

    And as for why India or Pakistan aren't being invaded... very simple and NOTHING to do with what they do in places like Kashmir, or the funding of terrorism by the Pakistan goverment.

    The US doesn't want a war in India because there are far too many people in India, and India has a well equipped army who would inflict massive casulties. This is the same reason China is never going to be a target.

    The reason the US gets to act this way is the same reason the UK acted this way in the 19Century...

    Who the hell was going to stop them ?

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi