Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!amd!pesnta!hplabs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!cepu!ucla-cs!scw 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.