SCP-047
Microbial Mutagen
SCP-047 in situ before recovery from Site-██ Secure Laboratory after a containment breach.
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 has been provided, adjunct to lab 047b, 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 evaporates slowly, producing a previously undocumented mutagenic gas. This gas has no effect on eukaryotic organisms (e.g. 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;
- 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 30/01/2010 (See Incident Report Yersinia-047-01 (2010)), 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 ██/██/201█:
D-15978 infected with P-047-A, 2 days after initial exposure.
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.