Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site unc.unc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!unc!fsks From: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Newsgroups: net.followup,net.med Subject: Re: Viral infections (San Joaquin Valley Fever). Message-ID: <181@unc.unc.UUCP> Date: Tue, 20-Aug-85 21:33:21 EDT Article-I.D.: unc.181 Posted: Tue Aug 20 21:33:21 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 03:00:15 EDT References: <191@tekig5.UUCP> <314@kitty.UUCP> <221@aoa.UUCP> <1091@ames.UUCP> <1040@phs.UUCP> Reply-To: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Organization: CS Dept, U. of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill Lines: 25 Xref: watmath net.followup:5219 net.med:2134 Summary: In article <1040@phs.UUCP> paul@phs.UUCP (Paul C. Dolber) writes: >Eugene Miya (ames!eugene) recently wrote in net.followup regarding the >creation of racially-specific microorganisms: > > A couple of books on the subject, one by a USA Col. and the other > by Robin Cook on Biological warfare mention racially specific > characteristics [in particular, cocc.*: aka San J. Valley Fever, a > fungus]... No need to create new germs anew when many exist already. > >Coccidiodomycosis (aka "valley fever" or "San Joaquin [Valley] fever") >is indeed a fungal infection, acquired by inhalation of Coccidioides >immitis (in dust, esp. in SW USA and Chaco district of Argentina). >May be benign or disseminated. > Dark-skinned persons and pregnant women are more vulnerable. >85-90% of blacks and Filipinos w/disseminated form die, versus 50% of >Caucasians. Even those with disseminated form may survive for several >years. Think you'd better create a new one if you're after a good >racially-specific biological warfare agent. It may not be possible to create completely racially specific germs, since no race is pure. One might be able to create germs which attack one group more heavily than another, but all ethnic groups are likely to be affected, to some extent. Frank Silbermann