Bacterial infections are generally very treatable though. Even when the bacteria aren't engineered. And especially when they are, because why would you leave any antibiotic resistance in an engineered bacterium?
Bacteria are the scariest when they've had the time to develop resistance to multiple different antibiotics.
Additionally, a bacterium that's engineered to be almost completely harmless evolving into a deadly strain in vivo is fairy unlikely in itself, especially if transcriptional errors can be reduced several orders of magnitude like GGP suggested.
Adding to that the option of hospitalisation or even home isolation to reduce risk of transmission, the risk of this resulting in some huge lethal epidemic must be pretty miniscule.
Bacteria are the scariest when they've had the time to develop resistance to multiple different antibiotics.
Additionally, a bacterium that's engineered to be almost completely harmless evolving into a deadly strain in vivo is fairy unlikely in itself, especially if transcriptional errors can be reduced several orders of magnitude like GGP suggested.
Adding to that the option of hospitalisation or even home isolation to reduce risk of transmission, the risk of this resulting in some huge lethal epidemic must be pretty miniscule.