SCP-047 - Microbial Mutagen
CLEARANCE GRANTED… WELCOME, AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL…
SCRIPT BASED ON ORIGINAL ENTRY BY Erku [CC BY-SA 3.0].
The voice of the Database was provided by Joshua Alan Lindsay.
Item #: SCP-047
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-047 is to be contained in a 0.5 m x 0.5 m x 1 m hermetically sealed storage box at all times. This box is to be locked in storage locker 047a, inside P3-secure biohazard lab 047b. Any entrance to and activity inside 047b will be recorded by biometric scan, closed circuit camera, and [REDACTED].
Entry to 047b requires the authorization of the project manager, in addition to at least one O5 level clearance. SCP-047 is to be treated as a Priority 4 Contagious Biohazard in all protocols, including mandatory quarantine if exposed. Suite q047, adjunct to lab 047b, has been provided for this purpose.
In the event of outside contamination of SCP-047-1, Lockdown Protocol 047-01 "Yersinia" must be engaged.
Description: SCP-047 is a heavily rusted, breached gas cylinder made of an iron-[REDACTED] alloy. When exposed to open air, the material of the cylinder sublimates slowly, producing a previously undocumented mutagenic gas. This gas has no effect on eukaryotic organisms, such as humans, but profoundly alters prokaryotes, showing preference for common human microbiota - the natural microorganisms that live on the skin and throughout the body. On rare occasions these mutations produce a "superbug" (collectively known as SCP-047-1), a natural commensal with enhanced survivability and therefore opportunistic pathogenicity. The pattern of changes induced by SCP-047 suggests that these highly infectious microbes are, at least to some degree, selected for.
Although the specifics of SCP-047-1 species are dependent on the base bacterium from which it is derived, there are several characteristics which appear to be generally consistent across all cases of SCP-047-1 mutation:
Enhanced survivability in the bacterium's natural environment and similar environments;
Full spectrum antibiotic resistance;
Increased reproduction rate and consumption of available material;
Development of a sporulation ability in gram-positive bacteria;
Increased ability to uptake, hold, and share plasmids, particularly in gram-negative bacteria; and
Increased transmission, due to traits described above.
SCP-047-1 samples are normally debilitating and virulent. However, compared to other Keter-class SCPs, it should be noted that SCP-047-1 have a relatively low mortality rate due to their action through "mundane" biological pathways.
Several strains of bacteria have been selectively mutated by SCP-047. Mutation of bacteria in culture is possible, but the process appears to be much more effective with bacteria living on a human host. Generally, mutation of natural commensals for experimental purposes is encouraged. After the containment breach of 21/01/2019 (See Incident Report Yersinia 047-01 (2019)), mutation of already-pathogenic species is banned and all existing samples must be destroyed.
Three particular species of SCP-047-1 mutated bacteria are of note, due to their involvement in the containment breach of 21/01/2019:
Propionibacterium 047-A (P-057-A) is a strain of Propionibacterium acnes mutated by SCP-047.
Pathogenicity: Severe skin colonization around sebaceous glands. Modification of skin pH to levels that become toxic to skin cells. Massive inflammation and immune cell infiltration. Eventual breakdown of skin structure leading to sepsis.
Transmission: Transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Can remain active on inorganic surfaces for up to five hours.
Lethality: Approximately 40% mortality rate. Runs its course in 2-6 weeks. Very visible symptoms within 5-10 hours; contagious within 2-5 hours.
Handling: As soon as visible symptoms form, victims must be quarantined. Deceased victims should be incinerated.
Streptococcus 047-C (S-047-C) is a strain of Streptococcus mitis mutated by SCP-047.
Pathogenicity: Causes inflammation of the mouth and esophagus initially. Leads to open sores in the mouth, which result in S-047-C entering the bloodstream and becoming septic. Death is usually due to infectious endocarditis.
Transmission: Droplet. Can remain active indefinitely by sporulation.
Lethality: Approximately 35% mortality rate. May become a recurring chronic condition if nonlethal.
Handling: Subjects with any sign of mouth infection should be quarantined. Deceased victims should be incinerated.
Clostridium 047-A (C-047-A) is a strain of Clostridium difficile mutated by SCP-047.
Pathogenicity: Unknown. C-047-A was developed from tissue culture and has never been exposed to a human. No samples remain in Foundation control.
Transmission: Unknown. Presumably transmitted through fecal contamination, as with C. difficile. Due to smaller, more robust spores, may also aerosolize with flatus. Effects of aerosol intake of C-047-A cannot be predicted.
Lethality: Unknown. Presumed extremely high risk of destruction of endothelial lining of gastrointestinal tract, leading to inflammation, sepsis, and toxic megacolon.
Handling: Until further research has been done, victims should be quarantined and placed under 24-hour medical observation to develop functional diagnostics for this strain. Deceased victims should not be incinerated until adequate etiological research has been performed.
Recovery Log 047: SCP-047 was recovered from the Site-██ Secure Laboratory by a Foundation Biohazard Recovery Team in response to a full compromise situation on ██/██/199█. Testing logs indicate that the research team was attempting to contain [DATA EXPUNGED] in a class-██ SCP-stable pressure cylinder, which led to [REDACTED] combining with [REDACTED]. A full molecular biological analysis of this is available in [REDACTED]. The initial release of gas when SCP-047 was structurally compromised was sufficient to cause a microbiotal "bloom" of uncounted species of SCP-047-1, killing all staff in the lab within █ hours. Exposed Site-██ staff obeyed standard Foundation quarantine/containment protocol, and the infection was contained successfully.
[typing…]
Incident Report Yersinia 047-01 (2019)
SCP Involved: SCP-047
Description: On 30/01/2010 at approximately 0300 hours, storage locker 047c (Site-██ lab 047b), containing bacterial samples mutated by SCP-047, was compromised after a complete simultaneous [DATA EXPUNGED], leading to failure of security measures in the area. Three (3) samples, of a total twelve (12), were stolen. [DATA EXPUNGED] since the initial containment break, outbreaks of one of the stolen bacterial strains, Propionibacterium 047-A (P-047-A), were recorded globally in communities of increasing size and population density. Further information on stolen material, spread, and containment follows.
Compromised Items: Propionibacterium 047-A, Streptococcus 047-C, and Clostridium 047-A. See SCP-047 for further information.
Outbreak information:
First Outbreak: P-047-A, 18/02/2019, Siberia. Contained: see Incident Report P047A-02-2019.
Second Outbreak: P-047-A, 21/03/2019, Northwest Territories (Canada). Contained: see Incident Report P047A-03-2019
Third Outbreak: P-047-A, 18/04/2019, South Australia. Contained: see Incident Report P047A-04-2019
Fourth Outbreak: P-047-A, 18/05/2019, Mato Grosso (Brazil). Believed contained: see Incident Report P047A-05-2019. Warning: Agents in the area are advised to familiarize themselves with the symptoms of P-047-A and be on the lookout for possible infection.
Fifth Outbreak: P-047-A, 17/06/2019, [REDACTED], Iraq. Site immediately [DATA EXPUNGED] which is believed to have contained the infection. Access to Incident Report denied without O5 clearance.
Sixth Outbreak: P-047-A, 14/07/2019, Cameroon. Quarantine enacted. Efforts to track outgoing civilians underway. INFECTION NOT CONTAINED. See Incident Report P047A-07-2019
Seventh Outbreak: P-047-A, 15/08/2019, Dalarna (Sweden). Quarantine enacted. Believed contained. See Incident Report P047A-08-2019. Warning: Agents in the area are advised to familiarize themselves with the symptoms of P-047-A and be on the lookout for possible infection.
Eighth Outbreak: Not recorded. Believed to have taken place in North Korea. [DATA EXPUNGED] Agents with government access are attempting to gain access to parallel information, but due to [DATA EXPUNGED] local services have been extremely uncooperative. CONTAINMENT STATUS UNKNOWN.
Ninth Outbreak: P-047-A, 11/10/2019, South Carolina (United States of America). Quarantine enacted. Efforts to track outgoing civilians primarily successful. One civilian in a pickup truck is believed to have [DATA EXPUNGED] INFECTION NOT CONTAINED.
Resolution: Reports from [DATA EXPUNGED] indicate no further outbreaks are believed likely, but Agents are advised to be on the lookout for new flareups resulting from uncontained civilians in previous outbreak regions; these may continue for years to come due to P-047-A sporulation. Investigation into the cause of the initial compromise is underway. Anyone with useful information may anonymously contact Security.
