«The benefits of publishing this work do not outweigh the dangers of showing others how to replicate it,» says Thomas Ingelsby of the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, which has long warned of bioterror risks. (newscientist.com)
Made into a permanent programme in 2009, it set out to sequence the genomes of potential bioterror agents, explore new drug technologies and develop «broad - spectrum» therapies that would work against multiple bacterial and viral pathogens — especially haemorrhagic fever viruses such as Ebola and Marburg. (scientificamerican.com)
Although Ebola outbreaks are quite rare, the gruesome symptoms — including high fevers, bleeding, and vomiting — and the mortality rate of up to 90 % have captured the world's attention and helped propel the virus onto the list of potential bioterror threats. (sciencemag.org)