Scientists propose creating deadly flu strains

Despite worries, on August 7, 22 international scientists from 15 organizations said they wanted to create a strain of influenza and the strain of bird flu to study their ability to spread from human to human .

In Science magazine, 22 scientists believe that infectious research "is necessary and should be done" . They pledged to strengthen laboratory protection.

This proposal is still controversial. Some researchers call for the highest security setting for laboratories."This research ability leads to something useful to be very low," - Adel Mahmoud said in Science.

Ashop selling poultry in China - (Photo: AFP)

However, the research funding agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services said it would consider the proposed study, according to USA Today . To reassure concerns about the study, the US government said it would require safer measures.

In 2011, similar efforts to study a more infectious flu virus, the H5N1 avian influenza virus, caused great controversy and led to a research ban.

Of the 130 cases of influenza infection in China so far, H7N9 virus is thought to be spread from poultry to humans. So far, only two cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported.

While cases of H7N9 infection slowed down in March 2013, experts feared that the virus would recur this fall and be immune to antiviral drugs.