The Frankenstein Flu: Why Engineering a 100% Fatal Virus is Playing with Planetary Fire, By Brian Simpson

Here is a story that's straight out of a dystopian thriller: Scientists in the U.S. and South Korea have engineered a "chimeric" bird flu virus that's 100% fatal in mammals. Yes, you read that right, not just deadly, but universally lethal in the animal models they tested. This isn't some underground bioweapon lab conspiracy (though it sure feels like one); it's peer-reviewed science, published openly in Science Advances last month (see link below). And while the researchers claim it's all in the name of understanding and preventing pandemics, the risks scream louder than the rationale. Let's break down why creating such a monster is insanely dangerous, and what happens if, God forbid, it escapes the lab. Spoiler: It could make the 1918 flu pandemic look like a mild cold season.

Why on Earth Would Scientists Do This?

First, the basics: The virus in question is a lab-made hybrid of H5N1 avian influenza, dubbed GA/W22-145E/22. It's a reassortant strain blending elements from North American and Eurasian bird flu viruses. The team, led by Young Ki Choi from the Korea Virus Research Institute and Richard J. Webby from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, used "reverse genetics" to tweak two key genes: PB2 478I and NP 450N. These mutations supercharge the virus, making it hyper-aggressive. In ferrets (a common mammal model for human flu), it doesn't just infect the lungs, it hijacks immune cells, spreads systemically, invades the brain, and kills every single test subject within days.

The purported goal? "Gain-of-function" (GoF) research. Scientists argue that by making viruses more virulent or transmissible in the lab, we can study how they evolve, spot warning signs in nature, and develop vaccines or treatments ahead of time. It's like playing chess against a future pandemic: Anticipate the moves before they happen. In this case, the paper highlights how these mutations could signal zoonotic risks (animal-to-human jumps), especially with H5N1 already spilling over into U.S. dairy cattle and causing rare human cases. Fair enough in theory, but in practice? It's like building a nuclear bomb to "understand" fallout. The potential for catastrophe far outweighs the benefits, especially when alternatives like safer surveillance or computational modelings exist.

Critics, including biosecurity experts, have long warned that GoF is a Pandora's box. Remember the 2011 controversy when researchers made H5N1 airborne-transmissible in ferrets? That sparked a global moratorium on such work. Yet here we are, post-COVID (with its own lab-leak debates), and labs are still playing God. Publishing the blueprint? That's like handing out IKEA instructions for a doomsday device. Any rogue actor, terrorist group, disgruntled scientist, or state sponsor with basic biotech could replicate it. As Michael Snyder noted in his Substack (which sparked this essay), this isn't just reckless; it's "literally insane."

The Dangers of Creation: A Recipe for Disaster

Creating a virus that's 100% fatal in mammals isn't just a scientific flex, it's a ticking time bomb. Here's why:

1.Lab Leaks Happen, Frequently: History is littered with escapes. The 1977 H1N1 "Russian flu" pandemic likely stemmed from a Soviet lab mishap. In 2004, SARS leaked from a Beijing lab twice. The U.S. has seen anthrax, Ebola, and foot-and-mouth disease slip out of high-security facilities. Even with BSL-3 protocols (used here), human error, equipment failure, or sabotage is inevitable. This H5N1 variant replicates in human blood cells and spreads via immune cells, meaning even a tiny exposure could turn a lab worker into Patient Zero.

2.Dual-Use Dilemma: The paper's open access means the genetic tweaks (PB2 and NP mutations) are public knowledge. Bioterrorists don't need a PhD to follow suit, CRISPR kits are cheap and widespread. Imagine ISIS or a lone wolf engineering this into a weapon. It's not sci-fi; the 2018 synthesis of horsepox (a smallpox cousin) proved how easy it is to resurrect deadly pathogens from scratch.

3.Ethical and Existential Risks: Why boost a virus's lethality when nature already provides plenty of threats? The 1918 flu killed 50-100 million with a ~2-3% fatality rate. This lab monster? 100% in models, with brain invasion and systemic spread. It's overkill for "research," fuelling fears of bioweapon development under the guise of science.

4.Unintended Consequences: Even if contained, such work normalises risky experiments. It diverts funds from proven public health measures (like better sanitation or wildlife monitoring) and erodes trust in science. Post-COVID, vaccine hesitancy is at all-time highs, imagine the backlash if a lab-made flu wipes out millions.

If It Escapes: A Nightmare Scenario Unfolds

The big "what if": Suppose this virus, or a copycat, breaks free. Based on the paper's findings, here's a plausible timeline of doom:

Day 1-3: Initial Infection: It starts subtle. A lab accident or deliberate release exposes humans. Unlike typical flu (respiratory focus), this beast infects immune cells directly, replicating in blood like a viral Trojan horse. Symptoms? Fever, fatigue, but also neurological signs, headaches, confusion, as it storms the brain. Fatality kicks in fast: In ferrets, death by day 7.

Week 1: Spread Accelerates: Highly contagious via droplets or contact (assumed, given H5N1's airborne potential in labs). It jumps to mammals easily, cows, cats, humans. Milk transmission (seen in bovine models) could contaminate dairy supplies, turning grocery runs into roulette. Human-to-human? The mutations enhance cell entry; if it gains efficient respiratory spread (like past GoF H5N1), R0 (infection rate) could rival measles (12-18).

Month 1: Global Panic: With 100% mammal fatality in tests, human death rates might hit 50-80% (accounting for variables like immunity). Hospitals overwhelm: Brain swelling, organ failure, no antivirals ready. Borders close, economies halt. The 1918 flu infected 1/3 of the world; this could do worse, killing billions. Society crumbles, supply chains fail, riots erupt, governments topple.

Long-Term Hell: Survivors face neurological scars (encephalitis-like damage). Wildlife decimated (birds, mammals), ecosystems collapse. Rebuilding? Decades, if ever. It's extinction-level for pockets of humanity, echoing the Black Death but turbocharged.

This isn't hyperbole, the paper itself warns of "zoonotic spillover concerns" and urges surveillance. Yet by creating it, the Dr Frankenstein's invited the apocalypse.

Time to Ban This Madness

Humanity's hubris, thinking we can outsmart nature without blowback, is our Achilles' heel. GoF on pathogens like this should be outlawed globally, like chemical weapons. Push for treaties, fund safer alternatives, and hold labs accountable. As Snyder warns, "man-made pestilences are one of the greatest existential threats." We dodged bullets with SARS and COVID; we might not with this.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ady1208

https://michaeltsnyder.substack.com/p/now-they-have-a-version-of-the-flu

https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/study-childhood-vaccines-contain