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From: scw@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Viral infections:  Modern medicine seems virtually helpless!
Message-ID: <6592@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 16-Aug-85 11:54:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.6592
Posted: Fri Aug 16 11:54:09 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Aug-85 07:24:58 EDT
References: <191@tekig5.UUCP> <314@kitty.UUCP>
Reply-To: scw@ucla-cs.UUCP (Stephen C. Woods)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 64

In article <314@kitty.UUCP> larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes:
>> We've had antibiotics [...] AIDS - How would you like to see an AIDS virus
>> that DOES spread like the common cold?  Or a rabies virus? ...

It does spread like rabies (exchange of bodily fluids [saliva in this case]).

>> ... 
>> One has to wonder how [...] enough to fund it, I hope).  ...

Improbable to say the least. Also Cobra venom is not nearly as toxic as say
the botulisim toxin (sorry I forget the exact name).

>
>	Not only is it possible *today* to engineer a virus which will produce,
>say, cobra venom, but it is possible to take it a step further...
>	Various governments (the U.S. included) have been quietly but seriously
>investigating the creation of *racially-specific* microorganisms, including
>viruses which will affect only persons of a specific race.  I am certain that
>all of you have heard of racially-specific diseases such as sickle cell
>anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, etc.  Think about this a minute...


WHOA!!!!! HALT! STOP!! FREEZE THE BOARD!!!!
Sickle Cell Anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, (and others of that ilk) are all
GENITIC diseases. That means that YOU ARE BORN with it. There is no agent
(bacteria/viris/other) that causes them.  Although medical Science can
(with some reasonable degree of accuracy) determine a persons race from
tissue samples & blood type (there are a whole slew of markers in blood),
that doesn't imply a knowledge with sufficent detail to tailor a 'Racially-
Specific Microorganism', You think about this for a Few WEEKS....


>	CBW is just as appalling as nuclear warfare.  We all certainly hope it
>will never happen.  An interesting point is that it would probably require far
>less resources for a third world country to develop an effective CBW weapon
>than to develop an atomic weapon.  Is such work going on?  Who knows?...

Well Iraq (certianly a 3rd world country) seems to have reintroduced Mustard
Gas into warfare.  The technology required to produce most of the non nerve
gas agents is not vary high.

>                                                                  ...  This
>kind of work can be easily disguised as part of a medical research effort.
>	I am certain that a number of people will ask: Why is the *U. S.*
>conducting research in the CBW area?  Why has Congress recently approved a
>program to manufacture a binary [not the digital kind...] 'nerve gas' weapon?

That's simple the binary agent is MUCH MUCH MUCH (enough muches?) safer to
store/transport/and use. It's called a Binary agent because it comes in 2 parts
(much like epoxy) either part ,by itself, is harmless, mixed together ,however,
they are deadly.

>The answer, as far as I am [...] atomic weapons.  Does this really work
>as a deterrent?

This is not clear, it is known that the Soviet Union has a LARGE stock of
Chemical weapons, and from recient history it seems that they are not
adverse to using them.

>Who knows?

Most anyone who keeps up on what's happening in the world.