-Caveat Lector- Killer Virus Created By Accident <http://www.healthmall.com/newsletter.cfm?type=article&id=1326&a=> A new virus that destroys the immune system has been accidentally created by Australian scientists and kept secret for more than two years. The discovery was made public yesterday amid fears that biological weapons could be developed from the work on the genetically modified virus, which in experiments has killed animals vaccinated against it. The scientists' decision to publish the results of their groundbreaking research came after they raised their concerns with colleagues and officials at the departments of Defense and Foreign Affairs. The mousepox is harmless to humans, but scientists say the technology that created it could be used to develop a GM-strain of smallpox which would render the smallpox vaccine much less effective. Ian Ramshaw, an immunologist who worked on the project, said: "The virus itself is not dangerous, the ideas and the technology behind it are dangerous." Scientists yesterday urged that the Global Biological Weapons convention be strengthened in the wake of the discovery, made by Canberra scientists working on a combined project at the Pest Animal Control Co-operative Research Centre. The research is the first time a virus has been genetically engineered to make it more harmful, said Professor Ramshaw. The mousepox "modified to contain a gene which produces the substance interleukin-4" destroys the immune systems of mice, meaning those normally resistant to the virus die. "It is a warning that we must ensure humanity has mechanisms and rules in place to prevent the abuse of science for evil purposes," said Annabelle Duncan, a former deputy head of a United Nations team that inspected Iraqi biological weapon production sites in the early 1990s after the Gulf War. "In this case, we need urgently to strengthen the global Biological Weapons Convention to take account of this latest discovery, as the Australian Government has been urging in broader terms for some years," said Dr Duncan, chief of CSIRO molecular science. Australia has been active in efforts to win support for a new protocol to the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, to introduce mechanisms verifying that countries are sticking to their commitments not to build or stockpile biological weapons. Talks on the new protocol are scheduled to conclude in November. The creation of the virus was announced online at the Journal of Virology, published by the American Society for Microbiology. The creation was a complete accident, as the scientists were altering the virus trying to develop a mouse contraceptive. The new virus killed all the mice which were genetically resistant to the mousepox and killed 50 per cent of the mice which had been vaccinated against it. "What we didn't anticipate was turning a virus that the animals tolerated quite well to one that killed them," said Pest Control Centre director Bob Seamark. The research was conducted by Professor Ramshaw, from the division of immunology and cell division at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University, Ron Jackson, a virologist at the CSIRO's wildlife division, and Alistair Ramsay, now at the University of Newcastle. Professor Ramshaw has been using a similar technique in the developed of "double whammy" AIDS vaccine, which is expected to go to human trials shortly. ANU deputy vice-chancellor John Richards, who only learned of the research yesterday, said the experiments had been approved by the ANU animal ethics committee and the ANU recombinant DNA committee. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
