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Speculation on SARS Origins

Posted by michael on from the wmd dept.

JediJeremy writes "Nature has this article on the possibility that the SARS virus is a cross between mammal and bird viruses. The article does go on to say that this is totally speculation and that a mammal virus could have mutated. But it raises some interesting points, such as a possible new bio-terror weapon."

5 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. Come on! its the chinese! by mnmn · · Score: 0, Funny

    Those icky people eat snakes and cats, and it were the poor kittens in cages where SARS started out from. AIDS too started in Africa from some kind of sexual contact with Chimps.

    Like all diseases, SARS too must have come from people very different from us because they're barbaric/savages/weird/icky. We're too clean to spawn diseases although due to sheer bad luck we were hit bad.

    We should begin with banning all flights from China and Hong Kong. THAT oughtta fix it.

    --
    "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
  2. Beagle by Councilor+Hart · · Score: 1, Funny

    And I thought it came from mars.
    Now, where did I leave my tinfoil mouthpiece?

  3. U.S. GOVT involvement with SARS? by modpod · · Score: 2, Funny

    i read somewhere that the us govt created SARS in the lab, and sold it to china to make billions. unfortunately i can't find the article any longer.. conspiracy theory or truth?

  4. use your fear by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Funny

    Harness that paranoia that makes all bioengineering equal bioterror, and probably all engineering = terror. Direct it to fear actual transgenic mutation migration. That genetically engineered food with genes extracted from other species is more likely to spew genomic pollution into other genomes, like yours. Then demand GM food labelling, so you can make your own decision of just what pollution you swallow.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  5. There goes my Christmas BBQ! by RobertB-DC · · Score: 2, Funny

    SARS is thought to have made the leap into people in the live-animal marketplaces of Guangdong province, China. Researchers have so far found the culprit virus in three animals from the markets: masked palm civets, raccoon dogs and ferret badgers.

    Damn! There go my Christmas barbeque plans. How the heck am I going to keep up my reputation without my signature ferret badger brule' ?

    I mean, Turducken is sooo 2002, and do you know how big a freezer you'd need for the leftovers from just one Stuffed Camel?

    I guess we're going to have to fall back on the barn cats. Again.

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.