excerpt of article on Fusarium fungi

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Strains of the fusarium fungi produce toxins so deadly that they are classified as 'biological agents' and weapons of war under the draft Protocol to the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention. In countries like Bolivia, where coca is used like chewing gum, the fungi could kill. The most frightening thing of all is that once released, the fungus is totally out of control, and may spread like wildfire across national borders. Fungi targeted at Colombian coke barons, for example, could easily cross the Andes into Peru, a legal coca producer. Likewise, fungus aimed at Burmese opium fields might ravage Thai poppy crops grown to make pharmaceutical opiates. Indigenous peoples would also become victims of the drug war. Many tribes harvest the targeted crops for traditional, non-drug purposes.

COPYRIGHT 2000 MIT Press Journals

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group

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