mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) (08/14/85)
[Followups to net.bio] In article <314@kitty.UUCP> larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes: > ... Various governments (the U.S. included) have been quietly but seriously > investigating the creation of *racially-specific* microorganisms, including > viruses which will affect only persons of a specific race. I am certain that > all of you have heard of racially-specific diseases such as sickle cell > anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, etc. ... It is unlikely that anyone could create usefully race-specific CBW agents. Either they would be too specific (attacking, say, only carriers of some distinct gene(s) such as sickle cell) or they would be too broad (attacking perhaps those with too much/little melanin) or they would attack based on some ethnically-based characteristic (such as diet or sanitary practices) which could be rapidly changed. Naturally occuring racially-specific diseases, such as the ones listed, are present in those races alone because the only mode of transmission has been heredity. Other modes of transmission are seldom race specific. Genetic differences between what are popularly considered races are extremely slight, and statistical in nature. There's no such thing as a "negro" or "oriental" gene that makes one a black or oriental. There don't even seem to be genes that are present in the majority of members of one "race" and generally not in other races. -- Mike Huybensz ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh