A Chapter Summary of ‘Emerging Viruses’ for Reporters

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE A Th~hrbITh7hT AmTrxNTCIr -i-m I o Summay ofChaper- P.Scientif:. Bcgroun A RORIK1ATJUINSo JU 19/U Chapter 1. The "World Health Organization Theory" SOVIET CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONSof AIDS- During the past decade, at least six internationally Mr. Sncs. The statements indicate that the Soviets have made ex- known authorities advanced theories that the AIDS virus tensive progress in chemical and hiological weapons. I would like you to provide for the record a statement which shows what they are doing (HIV) was developed by biological weapons researchers and in this area and with some indication of their capabilities in this area.. bo giare ach s Mr.Pioo. Weiwill be happy to provide that. either accidentally or intentionally transmitted with the help (The information follows:)Yy The Soviet Unionis er equipped deesively. ofenvely, ilitariy,d of d States Public Health Service (USPHS) and the world. She has placed a great deal of emphasis on these systemos in her military a Utilizing a wide spectrum of chemical munitions, the Soviets cotsider \Vorld Health Organization (WHO). A document like that ons or separately, as the case may dictate The Soviet agent stockpiles include a variety of agents and atittitioits caalte odl intg a wide ratige fmeects ot thle t db E" "A"~t'tsinyp us cog g..s n:,:::;; ohtie byone investigator, through the Freedom of Inforbattlefield. The Soviet soldier is well equipped defensively. tic trainis vigo.rous ly ob ind yoeivstg orth uhteFed mofI o and for long periods of time utilizing his equipment. He looks upon chemical as a real pttssibility it attyfItuire conillict, titd respects his tro tective cm iilpumet Thte f~'l c nw resetrchi"protgraiii l theSoviet tiiorlctceitcsalwarfare adbitlogicalagentiIs mation Act, is shown here-a DOD appropriations request has encompassed every facet from incapacitating to lethal effects, both offensively atid defeitsively. tie for $10 million for the development of AIDS-like viruses. (Addilititnal classified ititortitatiottss'as stiuplied ti thte cotitteelIce Includinth testimony belowj.) SYNTHETIC BIOLOGICAL AGENTS 'Ih e re a re tw o th in g s a b o u t lt h t b i tg ic l a g e n t fie ld I I w o u ld lik e 1Op.ssn tt mtenititti. Onte is ilie pi ssilitty t I Iechnllol gical surprise. Mtltlular Witi n the next 5 to 10 years, it would probhitlttgy is a field that is advancing very rapidly and emninent ltitltigists beieve that within a period o5 10 tyeasitwodbepossiblto ably be possible to make a new infective microorproduce a synthetic biological agent, an agent that does not naturally exist and fortwhich no natural intnuity could have been acquired. which could differ in certain importan Dr. MAcARTHUR. We are not.r1n aMr. SlKS. Why not? Lack of money or lack of interest?pykorgan Dr. MACARTHUR. Certainly ntt lack of interest. wn SIKEs. Would you provide for our records information on what isms. Most important of these is that it might be wol erequired, what the advalitages tif such a program would he, the time and the cost involvedvr ap o refractory to the immunological and therapeutic Dr. MACARThUR. We will he very happy to.p (The information follows:),processes upon which we depend to maintain ou investigate the relevance of this field of science to biological warfare. A small group of experts considered this matter and provided the following observa- r6IalVe freedom from infectious disease. 1. All biological agents up to the present time are representatives of naturally occurring disease, and are thus known by scientists throughout the world. They are easily available to qualified scientists for research, either for offensive or 2. ithin the nest to 10 years, it wutldl probably he possible to ntake a tiewv infective nmicroorganism which citulds differ in certait imnportantt aspects trttn Chapter 2. WHOPlyinteBgL aus eisr lit'i nano 7 go e hatr2 H Plays in the Big Leagues-Begins Dr. atty known disease-causitng organtismis. Most inmportant of ttese is that it mnigtt be refractory to the intunological ans terapeuticprocesses upon which we Horowitz's search for the origin of AIDS. Archival WHO 3. Aresearchi proigratm to esplsire Ite easiblty oftis 5conud e ctitmtietedl in approxiiiately 5 years at a total cost of $ Ilmillion. i. It would he very difficult to establish such a program. Molecular biology documents are explored along with links to American health Is a relatively new science There ate not many highly comluitent scientists in te field, almost all are in university laboratories, and they are generally adetiuately supported from sources other than 1)D However, it was considered possible agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Pr to i nit te aeuat program th rough the National Academy of Sciencesof tiwe agecieeicludnghheCentescfrlDieasACotrolandPre 5 h aewsiuitt he NAS-NR( and tentati wt eritai vention (CDC) and National Cancer Institute (NCI). These tintaeteprogram. However. sectreasittg funiss Ini CB. grotwinig criticism sir the CB progratm, ansI our retuctanice to Iinvottve the NAS-NRC Ili suclt a 5coh- ~XJC ia trsiversianevh to poistpnsit tie years ble sitel institutions played leading roles in the WHO's early viral rersacshldotibe tiiierttikett test iiItltyet tiltitlertme thttdiofitmassive se chn woNte kitligsitlargeouilatitns. Ontheotlst,withsut tiestunscietiic lw SechDetwork. During the 1960s and early 1970s the WH edlge that such a weapot s potssible, uaitt ainttitterstattditg sif lie ways It coultds te uoe, there is little tist canii dheilte o devise defetsive titeastites Stilit iian etnty devel it there is little doubt hat tisaninprtant atea ofpotentiat served as the omnipotent supplier of the world's pharmaceuntilitary technological inferiority i hc hr sn adequate reseaircht protical, bacteriological, and viral test reagents. Investigations revealed the NCI, a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), functioned as the WHO's chief distributor of viruses and viral testing reagents during the late 1960s. By 1968, the WHO had provided technical advisors and supplies of "prototype virus strains" for more than "120 laboratories in 35 different countries." By 1969, this number increased to "592 virus laboratories." In this one year, four of the most active centers, including the NCI and CDC, distributed 2,514 strains of viruses, 1888 ampoules of experimental vaccines, and about 100 samples of cell cultures throughout the network. 70,000 virus isolations were reported by 1970. Chapter 3. Cold War, Biological Weapons and World Health -The international scientific community's efforts to stop biological warfare and biological weapons (BW) research and development are reviewed here. The chapter reveals how, why, and to what extent tJ. S. biological weapons research continued despite staunch foreign and domestic opposition. President Nixon's false claims that BW research and development ceased after signing the Geneva Accord in 1969 are documented, as arc the WIHO's objections to safeguarding genetic engineering of mutant viruses for biological warfare and cancer research. In March of 1970, WHO consultants noted that it was "possilbl that biological agents may be used... to achieve the siuhltalneous inflecti101 of key groufps of people, aId %d~ fitary col1equncl1Cs Iligilt well be of major importance...." They noted the"calculated risk that a virulent mutant might appear and spread rapidly to produce an uncontrollable epidemic on a large scale. In addition, if mutants are deliberately produced in the laboratory," they wrote, " there is the ever-present risk of an accidelnlal escape." t)

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A Chapter Summary of ‘Emerging Viruses’ for Reporters
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Horowitz, Leonard G.
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Tetrahedron Publishing Group
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"A Chapter Summary of ‘Emerging Viruses’ for Reporters." In the digital collection Jon Cohen AIDS Research Collection. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/5571095.0243.080. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 10, 2025.
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