Journals mull publishing killer flu detail

The journals Science and Nature are mulling whether to publish details of a man-made mutant killer flu virus that has sparked concerns of mass deaths if it is released.

The virus in question is an H5N1 avian influenza strain that was genetically altered in a Dutch lab so it can pass easily between ferrets.

That means it is likely contagious among humans for the first time, and could trigger a lethal pandemic if it emerged in nature or were set loose by terrorists, experts have said.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu is fatal in 60 per cent of human cases but only 350 people have so far died from the disease, largely because it cannot, yet, be transmitted between humans.

Full scary link:- http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8392933/journals-mull-publishing-killer-flu-detail

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I have to ask the obvious question. Why are scientists trying to make something which is already quite contagious more contagious?

I can see the merits in studying contagion patterns in existing strains, but this is just asking for trouble.

Tinfoil hat time - population control according to Malthusian theory*.

*In my defence, I did watch Moonraker last night.

Perhaps because some people like to play at being a God? Real answer is I don't know.

You watched Contagion?

Perhaps they are researching how to infect a bowl of peanuts.

I posted about this back in early November, but it was a bit lost on another thread. My wife has been working in avian flu vaccine research.

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?33789-Myths-about-the-brain&p=1185920#post1185920

Ferrets are considered the gold standard for research, as they are much more closely related to people than the usual mice and provide much more reliable results when developing vaccines. hence they were delighted to mutate it for research purposes. Incredible isn't it?

Disinformation

If you know to make it more transmissable then you have a better chance of knowing how to produce a vaccine quickly when it inevitably mutates 'naturally' in the environment.

Sensible to do research into this topic and equally sensible to be cautious about publicising the full method/result. Having said that, if you're sufficiently technically aware to be able do this experiment/procedure then you are certainly capable of doing loads of other really dangerous stuff that is already out there. Eg. make a shed load of ricin.

I posted about this back in early November, but it was a bit lost on another thread. My wife has been working in avian flu vaccine research.

 

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?33789-Myths-about-the-brain&p=1185920#post1185920

Ferrets are considered the gold standard for research, as they are much more closely related to people than the usual mice and provide much more reliable results when developing vaccines. hence they were delighted to mutate it for research purposes. Incredible isn't it?

So the pre-emptive work that is helping to develop a vacine against a deadly disease may actually innadvertently cause the spread of the thing in the first place if managed improperly.

I hope the company behind this havn't seen Mission Impossible 2.