A VIRUS that kills every one of its victims, by wiping out part of their
immune system, has been accidentally created by an Australian research team. The
virus, a modified mousepox, does not affect humans, but it is closely related to
smallpox, raising fears that the technology could be used in biowarfare.
The discovery highlights a growing problem. How do you stop terrorists taking
legitimate research and adapting it for their own nefarious purposes?
The Australian researchers had no intention of producing a killer virus. They
were merely trying to make a mouse contraceptive vaccine for pest control. “But
it’s…
