Study on bird flu supervirus published

Killer virus: study will be published

06/05/2012

The results of the study on the laboratory-bred supervirus are now widely published. Already at the end of last year should in the science magazines „Nature“ and „Science“ actually two studies are printed that represent possible mutations of the bird flu virus H5N1 to a human pathogen. However, with reference to the danger of bioterrorism, the American government had spoken out against publication.

After a heated dispute over the past few months between the Federal Government's Advisory Council on Biosafety (NSABB) and the science magazine's editors „Nature“ and „Science“ on the handling of two studies on mutant H5N1 viruses, the journals have now decided on a comprehensive publication based on external reports. In the two independent studies, two teams of researchers used genetic manipulation to generate a pathogen highly pathogenic to humans in just a few mutations of the bird flu virus H5N1.

Benefits of publication outweigh the risks of abuse
A publication of the studies could be abused as a blueprint for human pathogenic avian influenza virus, so the fear of the US authority. The editorial staff of the two science magazines countered that the only way to adequately prevent possible health hazards is to fully disclose the results. Nevertheless, the publication was postponed and initially formed a panel of experts that should provide an objective assessment. On the basis of the assessment of the panel has changed „Nature“ now decided to publish and the „essential scientific elements "of the studies unchanged „several independent advice“ by renowned security experts, concluding that the benefits of publishing study results outweigh the risks of misuse of constructing a bioweapon.

US Biosafety Agency no longer against publication
Recently, the NSABB had - after massive criticism of their actions by the editors of „Science“ and „Nature“, The World Health Organization (WHO) and numerous virologists worldwide, and no longer opposed the publication of the research results from the studies of Ron Fouchier, a professor at Erasmus University in Rotterdam and Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a professor at the University of Wisconsin. Since the studies only show possibilities of mutation that would be relatively likely to occur even without human intervention, the publication of the findings could help to make the right precautions today and develop an appropriate antidote, according to the study authors' hope. (Fp)

Also read:
H5N1 supervirus studies are published
WHO calls for publication of supervirus data
Bioterrorism with new supervirus from the laboratory

Picture: Aka