When Raymond Benson was researching a plot device for his latest villain to threaten the world with, nobody could have predicted what was about to happen in reality would overlap with the literary world of 007...

A Real Life Bond Villain - West Nile Disease
16th September 2002

Raymond Benson, official Bond novelist, may also answer to the name of Nostradamus if the current out break of the West Nile virus in the United States continues.

The plot of the latest Bond novel ,"The Man With The Red Tattoo", centres around a genetically enhanced version of the West Nile virus which can kill it's victims within 24 hours. The villain Goro Yoshida, who is behind the threat to attack the West, was introduced to Bond's literary world in the previous novel "Never Dream of Dying". Left: The virus is spread by mosquitos

But back in reality, the West Nile virus is taking an alarming toll on the country. 16 people in the state of Illinois have been killed so far this year, and when compared to zero cases being reported during the whole of 2001 for the same state, shows an alarming outbreak that could threaten millions of people. Severe infections are marked by a rapid onset of a high fever with head and body aches, disorientation, tremors, convulsions and, in the most severe cases, paralysis or death.

West Nile virus first emerged in the United States in the New York metropolitan area in the autumn of 1999. Since then, the virus, which can be transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito, has quickly spread across the country and is as far west as Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming.

But Raymond Benson was busy researching the virus for possible use as a villain`s plot device over two years ago: "I wanted to come up with some kind of bio-terrorism thing, I started wondering what would happen if someone genetically altered the virus and used it as a weapon." Benson spent some of last summer researching the virus and how it is spread at California's Mosquito Vector Control facility. Right: Raymond Benson, Bond novelist.

"The Man With The Red Tattoo" was released this summer, at the same time the outbreak started to alarm scientists. Health officials are now wishing they had a real-life 007 to help solve this mystery.