Ladies and gentlemen, a significant development has taken place in the area of research concerning lethal pathogens in the US as of late. Specifically, a federal ban prohibiting research on dangerous pathogens such as SARS has been lifted. SARS, coronavirus that caused an outbreak in 2004 in 29 countries, resulted in 8,096 reported infections where 774 deaths related to SARS were recorded according to the CDC. Viruses such as Ebola are also fair game for research in laboratories now, where it has been discussed that creation of an airborne Ebola strain could possibly aid in preventing a pandemic. Research studies were intentional mutations of viruses are induced for the sake of finding a cure new versions of these pathogenic viruses are now in the horizon. In fact, all viruses that could potentially cause a pandemic are fair game from the uplifting of this federal ban.
It seems a little counterintuitive correct? Well, assuming that the laboratories adequately maintain an environment with highly trained personnel that will place an emphasis on preventing the escape of these novel strains from the laboratory, it would be helpful to know how bioterrorists could potentially change a lethal virus in their attempts to create a pandemic. If we created these new lethal strains first, we would be able to create vaccines or treatments for these non-existent strains currently in the globe, in case of their introduction into the globe, once again through bioterrorism (or through an outbreak of the pathogen from a lab). We would thus be ahead of the bioterrorists and would thus be safer. That is what the people on top believe, but I have my reservations, as I know others do. In 2014, the CDC accidentally exposed its workers to anthrax, and accidently sent a dangerous flu virus strain, instead of a benign one to a laboratory. This was the same year that all federal funding was halted towards making dangerous viruses more lethal for our protection.
Is this plainly a bad idea, or is this a justified preventative measure? I can’t really seem to decide, but one thing I’ve learned throughout my life is that you don’t just play with fire and expect to come out unscathed, eventually someone is bound to get burned. For the sake of the safety of individuals here in the US, I hope human error is not the cause of the introduction of a new lethal strain here in the US. On the other side of the coin, if a bioterrorism group decides to hit us with a modified strain of a lethal virus such as SARS, we might be ready to thwart their efforts, saving thousands of lives in the process.
Which side do you lean to?
Sources:
-Daniel Gutierrez
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