K,
It's certainly not for me, but I can think of a few folks who
would enjoy the permanent drunk engendered by such an infection...
If the E Coli are genetically altered to make ethanol, it would seem that inebriation is the largest risk factor... not some strange Ebola-like thing. Genes are very limited, specialized and specific in what they can do. Plus, if you modify for one trait, then you probably end up limiting the ability of the new strain to do anything very different, compared to the natural variety which can be very deadly - but this technology is unlikely to increase that problem.
However...as we speak, creative Frat men in Gainesville (UF is well-known as a big time "party school") are probably planning toga parties where the only thing in the punchbowl is saw-dust....
