If you had the genetic code of an individual could you manufacture a virus that would travel around the world causing mild symptoms but when it reached its target would become deadly?

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Not unless you could prevent it from mutating before reaching the target.

Interesting thought though.

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Although this may make for interesting science fiction, it is highly, highly, unlikely for the forseeable future. some reasons:

- viral disease interactions are very complex and unpredicable

- Even the most prevalent diseases only infect a small portion of population

- Specificity would be very difficult - more likely any toxic reaction would also affect many others with similar genetics (millions of others also dead...)

- although each individual is unique genetically - that is true only on the large scale. If you look at any small scale (small enough to fit into a virus) we are all too much alike for such a specific mechanism to be possible!

And its still easier to walk up and shoot him.

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Gimme a minute to read through Jay's latest observations...

Or cough on him after eating garlic pizza.

This reminds me of an article I read about researchers trying to alter HIV so that it would exclusively attack cancerous cells.

Both mutate way too fast. Sounds like a very dangerous fool's errand.

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Gimme a minute to read through Jay's latest observations...