h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have a vague memory in the back of my head that Necrotising Fasciitis (aka The Flesh-Eating bug, aka Galloping Gangrene) is caused by this kind of thing, ie. a common bacteria being infected by a virus.
Maybe that was just one of the early theories as to the cause of it.
In either case, it certainly illustrates the danger of messing around with this kind of mechanism to create medication. Who knows if a scientist will accidentally create a sequel to the Flesh-Eating bug?

Remember, a sequel always has a higher body-count!

I remember necrotising fasciitis (I'm trusting your spelling here) but I didn't hear the speculation about the cause being a bacteria infected by a virus. It's a cautionary tale, for sure! Even if it's not true, it's the sort of thing they should bear in mind.

Did you read the other thread off this article, labelled "interesting..."? If so, you'll see I share your belief in caution about human manipulation of organisms. I think the biggest danger is the neck-breaking hurry _some_ scientist are in (mainly to make a name for themselves in all probability).

Another cause for caution might be that viruses mutate often which is why they're so good at what they do. So a harmless virus that ate bacteria might turn around and start attacking you.