Ebola Virus found in Pigs

No I do not need them, but I am unfamiliar to say the least with transfections regarding bacteriophages and 'normal' phages.

I have only heard of one case, and thats actually with the rhinovirus being attacked by much, much smaller virions.

Usually on these boards you don't find many people that have cred in molecular biology, sorry I jumped the gun.

Anyway, I can provide evidence as to this answer as well. Ebola has and never will be cultivated into a bioweapon. Smallpox, tuli, ames, pestis, prowazeki, botulinum, pseudomalei/ malei, VEE, RVFV, dengue... those are bioweapons that have been used, researched, cultivated etc.

RNA viruses are too fragile and RNA work is too complicated for ebola to be made into a bioweapon. Plus, many countries do not have the resources, access to the strain, nor the skill set or bl-4 lab space to do that type of work... other than US of course.

Ebola being made into a bioweapon is a thing of nightmares, and could/ would only be performed by a sadistic but very, very capable superpower of a country.

Originally posted by retroviralsounds
Us crazy scientists would be happy to take a year long vacation so you can try to figure out a cure for these terrible things.

I'm sick of people giving us a bad name just because the majority of the world population is not intelligent enough/ informed enough to understand what the purpose of our research is. A little more reading and a little less bashing.

I can guarantee that Ebola was and never will be purposely released. It's even too scary to be used as a bioweapon.

Funny, you don't sound like one of the crazy scientists I was alluding to, certainly no offense intended.

But, let's not forget the old axiom - "The road to hell is paved with good intentions..." I'm sure many of the earnest research scientists throughout history who developed the countless drugs and chemicals that have long since been banned for causing injury and death never meant any harm.

Or these researchers either...

cryptogon.com...



[edit on 14/7/2009 by kosmicjack]

I definitely see what you are saying, don't get me wrong. But as a biodefense specialist, its a very fine line we walk (and that line is named the BWC).

Things like the 1918 H1N1 need to be recreated so research can be performed to stop the monster were it ever to return... and seeing that it has (in one form or another), the research those fellow scientists perform undoubtedly hastened the production of the swine flu vaccine.

What the reason is I dont know, but I do not get why they are still calling this 'swine flu' and not spanish flu, because it is what it is.

Its full blown spanish flu, from the first base pair almost to the last. I think thats what the gov't and MSM are with holding, to keep people from panicking.

reply to post by retroviralsounds


Good to see someone who operates in this field,apart from ravens input.I would like to know yours when it comes to ebola,is it impossible for it to mutate with a virus that is more easily transmitted airborne? impossible or improbable in your opinion?

Could ebola virus mutate, become more airborne and fastidious? Thus being more pathogenic?

Yes.

Can it mutate with another virus and pick up these genes? Yes. But VERY highly unlikely. It would be a biological perfect storm.

reply to post by retroviralsounds


Ebola IS a bioweapon.

I promise you- on the soul of my mother.

YES---it is a squiggly, sneakly little bastard of a virus, but Ebola---and other hemorrhagic filoviruses have been, and ARE weaponized.

Have you ever read about how many researchers die, "committ suicide", go missing? I didn't want to be one.

And I'm tryling like hell to tell you what I know- what I have seen- because I give a damn- I spent half my life trying to do something POSITIVE about it---and I found what everyone with a soul find ins a government lab---that in order to conduct biodefense, one must first weaponize the strains. It's axiomatic- find and ask anyone you know who has walked in spacesuits. No fear can touch it- no desire for peace can ease one in those scenarios, when research turns from "I'm helping the world, the slodiers, whomever"--- to "I'm creating the prefect strain of weaponized X".

I DON'tT mean to be argumentative- you all are clearly educated, good people- I'm just begging you to understand that I've seen "the Badlands". And I got out- safely- at a dead run--I don't want anyone to have to go through what I did- to lose so much idealogy and drive --and, admittedly, innocence---as I did.

Forgive me if the lady doth protest too much- I'm just trying like hell to tell the truth.

Peace,

C

[edit on 15-7-2009 by CultureD]

reply to post by retroviralsounds


Exactly why I started the thread-
I didn't think Ebola and flu would combine in some super-natural way and become a superbug to destroy the world.

I worried that at the SNP level- as another pointed out- there could be selectively forced genomic sharing that could drive either Ebola pathogenicity or influenza pathogenicity- or if (god forbid) there was a nucleic acid exchange- one could drive the other in a direction (a molecular direction) that could have stark consequences for us all.

[edit on 15-7-2009 by CultureD]

reply to post by retroviralsounds


Boy- you said it-
A level 4+ lab and a sick government. Welcome to the USA. Don't know if you're from here or have worked here, but I couldn't even tell my HUSBAND what I was doing.--it's a very twisted soul that would weaponize Ebola.

It took me a few sessions with a good doc to sort out how I felt once I knew- as any human would--and a good year off to get my head and soul straight before I went on.

Would love to know your background if you feel comf. sharing it.

Peace,

C

[edit on 15-7-2009 by CultureD]

reply to post by retroviralsounds


You are spot on about this flu- it IS the 1918 strain, in all sense of the meanin- and when we went digging for a deceased Inuit woman, reverse-engineered the flu ina lab, we opened Pandora's box.

And remember- this is an RNA virus- it's not as "touchy" as Ebola, but RNA, nonetheless. So- to support my claim on weaponized Ebola (re: the difficulty with RNA viral engineering) we're at a stalemate!

Again- as with the other poster, you and I are on the same side-

Remember the "Ames" strain of B. anthracis that hit the capitol in 2001? Guess where it came from- my lab. As I've mentioned- I've been in "the badlands' and I've run from them.

If you are doing biodefense research, PLEASE keep safe ))))

reply to post by retroviralsounds


BTW I went BLIND working on SNPs, just so you know

And after reading all of my typos from exhaustion, I'm off.

Good conversation- all. This is important and I'm blessed to be surrounded by other scientists.

Take care- let's all stay informed- and for god's sake, let's be kind to each other.

Fighting something you can't see for decades takes a lot out of you- and we need all the strength we can muster going into this pandemic in the fall.

Be well, and in peace,

C

I work in the biodefense field (not saying whom I work for), and I have multiple clearances from both the DOD and the DOJ. I am authorized to work with select agent, and I have experience at the bl3 level. Vaccinated against anthracis and botulinum. And no I can't tell anyone a peep about the things that I work on, so don't ask me specifics.

Ebola... not weaponized. Ever. Its not even a good bioweapon at all. You could drop a bomb, it might infect and kill 25 people and burn itself out. Ebola infections do not sustain for awhile. Bioweapons are fastidious and sustain infections very easily. You also run into the problem of production. Ebola bioweapon production would be impossible to wrangle up enough for an effective device. Bioweapons are always limited by production. Thus why ricin is used so often, its plentiful and easy to make.

If you do not mind cultured, sharing your credentials, or at least where you are located?

reply to post by retroviralsounds


Retro-

I worked in Level 4 labs, and I'm not comfortable sharing where or when (I left the hot bench around '03); I can tell you, however, that unless it has been destroyed (!?!?!) the US posesess weaponized Ebola.

I come from a family of military and intel specialists, as well as having had my own experience. One very close family member worked foreign counter-intel from DC (used to live there) for one of the "3-letter" agencies-so I can corroborate my info in the lab with their's.

And I CAN share with you that I also have had the B. anthracis vaccine--and it is a total b**ch, as are the doses of Cipro that accompany it- also have typhus and Hep B vaccines, as well as 2 about which I know absolutely nothing- was not told what they were, only that I was sick for weeks after each of them.

It's hard to give credentials here while maintaining privacy- and thus hard to trust what's posted- what is truth and what isn't. I'm proud of my Doctorate but can't post my transcript....etc.
All I can do is listen to others and share as much as I can. And for fellow biodefense workers- I can only pray for your safety, as my family prayed for mine (retroactively, as I was unable to share my work with them until part of my clearance had expired- and I took it as seriously as my wedding vows).
Now, my husband knows what I did- but not all (and can't for 10 more years, or so) , merely the outline- and I think he's happier in some ways than I am that I left when I did.

Keep safe, work in pairs, and know you have a cheerleader who believes in your sacrifice and honors your work.

Peace,
C

If this virus mutates and cause human deaths, it will be much worst than SARS.

H1N1 is peanuts:
US study: New flu inefficient in attacking people

And this makes things a little more interesting---stay safe, everyone!

www.abovetopsecret.com...