The tinkered virus is now highly potent in destroying insects both pests and their natural predators and the pollinators. The scorpion toxin may not be threatening to humans as a toxin when it is eaten but its impact on cuts and open sores is a concern. Such toxins are frequently allergens as well as nerve toxins. Food allergy causes effects ranging from migraine headache to death. The danger from a small field test is tangible provided the experiment is not well thought out and controlled.
Genetic recombination is a significant concern in such experiments.
The scorpion toxin gene can be spread by recombination to insects that suck blood as well as insects that suck plant juice. The virus that acquires a toxin gene will achieve a new ecological niche and is likely to be a formidable parasite. The reason that the experiment will not be monitored is the mistaken belief that the scorpion gene will not be an advantage to the insect virus which will die out and have to be continually replaced from the company store. Furthermore, it is equally clear that the agricultural authorities are not eager to have adverse monitoring reports slow the development of a product capable of enriching companies beyond their wildest dreams. The use of a scorpion genes to enhance the killing ability of insect viruses is not new.