Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ecsvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!ecsvax!emigh From: emigh@ecsvax.UUCP (Ted Emigh) Newsgroups: net.followup Subject: Re: Viral infections: Modern medicine seems virtually helpless! Message-ID: <249@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 15:11:15 EDT Article-I.D.: ecsvax.249 Posted: Wed Aug 14 15:11:15 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 16:31:55 EDT References: <191@tekig5.UUCP> <314@kitty.UUCP> Reply-To: emigh@ecsvax.UUCP (Ted Emigh) Organization: NC State University Lines: 26 Summary: In article <314@kitty.UUCP> larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes: > 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... Hold on a second!! Sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs disease are not racially specific diseases. Instead, they are genetic diseases that are more frequent in some populations (races) than in other populations. In the case of sickle cell anemia, individuals who are heterozygous for this gene have some protection against malaria, so it is more common in those areas with a historically high rate of malaria (Equatorial Africa, SE Asia, etc). Even so, it occurs in European populations, among others. I can think of no way of introducing sickle cell anemia or Tay-Sachs disease into a population through chemical warfare. --Ted-- -- Ted H. Emigh Genetics and Statistics, North Carolina State U, Raleigh NC USENET: {akgua decvax duke ihnp4 unc}!mcnc!ecsvax!emigh ARPA: decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!emigh@BERKELEY BITNET: nemigh@tucc