ZKEA

Biological Terrorism : Emerging Diseases : Biological Warfare

Chimeric Organisms, Chimera

Chimeric organisms are extremely useful in genetic and medical research, and are quite widespread. Commercialized chimeras are also increasingly common. Some of these could have tremendous value. To given just example, one chimeric organism - a combination of the common cold and the polio virus - has shown great promise in curing brain cancer. Similar combinations with HIV show promise for other diseases. This is very mature technology and the required expertise can be found throughout the world.

Although it may not seem particularly wise to combine lethal pathogens with the common cold, a sufferer of some terminal condition which might be cured by a chimera might see the situation a bit differently. In any event, it is certainly the case that the scientific community takes great precautions with this research. Everyone is aware of the danger and these researchers have the best of intentions.

But, as you may have noticed on occasion, not everyone in the world has the best of intentions. This is certainly the case for those who are in the professions of biological warfare or biological terrorism. (Although, even here, many of those involved believe they have the best of intentions. Such is the human condition).

How can chimeras serve the needs of biological warfare? Basically there are countless ways for chimeric organisms to be of use here, but let's just look at one simplified example to get a sense of the enormity of this threat.

The problem with many killer viruses is that they are fragile. Conversely, many other viruses are quite robust, yet benign. Similarly, no virus is universally lethal. There is always the unfortunate possibility that a victim might survive.

The obvious question arises: what happens when you construct chimeras from known pathogenic organisms? Given the increasing understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis for virulence, is it possible to combine the "best" qualities of various diseases? Can you create mega-diseases in this fashion? Could a bioweapons researcher, for instance, make HIV infectious through air by combining it with influenza? Or make smallpox more deadly by combining it with Ebola?

This last example has already been accomplished. And it may have been given to North Korea and other rogue states. This, at least, is the claim of Dr. Ken Alibek. He should know: he was a top Soviet germ scientist and saw the work himself. Alibek defected to the United States in the 1990s. Initially his claims about the threat of biological terrorism and warfare were considered wild and unsubstantiated. A number of experts publicly discounted his claims. But as the years went by and more amazing details were discovered about the Soviet program, the United States began to listen very closely to him. You don't hear much from the doubters anymore.

But that is not all that the Soviets were up to. They have been quite busy during those harsh Russian winters. Among many other things, they also created "hardened" Ebola that can be transmitted like the common cold and plague that is immune to all antibiotics.

There are dark rumors of other super-chimeras as well. In particular, it's believed that both the Russians and the Americans have veePox: a combination of smallpox and Venezuelan encephalitis. This chimera is believed to combine the pathogenic qualities of both viruses, thus rendering it universally fatal. What happens if such a virus were to escape by accident? What happens if a terrorist group gets such a virus and sprays it on a major city?

Given the technology for creating a chimera is public domain and widely understood, we can expect to hear much more news about chimeric organisms in the future. This news will doubtless be unpleasant, but also will be no surprise.

Link: Smallpox, Equine Encephalitis (VEE), and other Soviet Chimeras
Link: A Discussion On Iraq And The Soviet Smallpox/VEE Chimera.
Link: Dr. Ken Alibek Testimony to US Congress.
Link: Common Cold Virus Combined With Polio (Chimera, Brain Cancr)