Restart studies of H5N1

Scientists around the world announced that they would restart the study of mutant strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus after a pause due to fears of research information falling into the wrong hands.

Scientists believe that studies of avian influenza strains are necessary. Because safety risks may be high, studies will be conducted in the safest places, and approved by the national government.

It will be key laboratories in the Netherlands and some other places, but not in the US or US-funded research centers.

Bird flu can cause a global pandemic - (Photo: Shutterstock)

"We want the world to be more prepared now when the H5N1 strain can cause a pandemic," Reuters quoted Yoshihiro Kawaoka from Tokyo University (Japan), one of the researchers. Leading on bird flu.

In a letter published in the Nature and Science journal, 40 researchers of influenza from the US, China, Japan, Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, Italy, Germany . wrote that the study of influenza, Just like any other infectious disease study, there are risks.

However, because the H5N1 virus can be transmitted among mammals, the benefit of research is greater than risk.

All studies on the transmission of H5N1 virus have been suspended since January 2012 after a group of scientists from the University of Wisconsin (USA) and the Erasmus Dutch Medical Center (Netherlands) created it. The mutant strain can be transmitted directly between mammals, meaning the virus can also be transmitted directly between people and humans.

Currently, bird flu can be spread from poultry to poultry and from poultry to humans, not spread directly between people.

When information about the study appeared at the end of 2011, the National Science Advisory Board on Biosafety in the United States called for censorship of scientific works to prevent details of the study being fell into the wrong hands.