Once again, I have not yet learned to accept the fact that the world of science fails me...Many times...Or rather the arrogance of Science...
It has been recently announced that the Scientists from AFIP, CDC, and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the United States, have re-created the "Spanish Flu" that killed 40 million people (1918-1919). No other disease in the History of Mankind killed more people in such a short span of time. They have recreated the Virus from scratch - however, a few years ago - Scientists discovered parts of this virus in frozen human remains (Arctic Tundra) and in tissue that was stored in government warehouses. Which allowed for comparisons of the man made virus to the one that was created in a lab. Was the recreation of this virus necessary in this day and age of the very real possibility that the Avian Flu will be the next "Great Flu Epidemic" or was it the arrogance of wanting to go into history books (as the first time an infectious agent behind a historic pandemic has ever been reconstructed).
I understand how important genome sequencing is, and what valuable information can be obtained from recreating this deadly virus. However, I worry what will happen to the ten vials that hold ten million particles of this virus. I also paid close attention to the wording of a CDC employee stating that the "public is at a minimal risk". The CDC is the same body that decided to keep the Smallpox Virus alive instead of destroying it. To be fair - Smallpox Virus is also stored at a lab in Siberia. However, we do know that there are now illegal stocks in various countries in the world...will the same thing happen with this newly re-created virus?
Will we one day read in the Headlines that some of the vials are missing?
Will we learn that the beginnings of this Flu has once again reared its ugly head?
Or will we learn that by recreating this flu virus has saved millions of lives?
Originally Posted on Friday, October 7, 2005
posted by Mantaray Ocean at 10:36 PM 3 comments
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