Successfully created deadly flu virus in the laboratory

Scientists have created a 1918 Spanish flu-like strain, an "extremely dangerous" strain of flu that has killed 50 million people in history.

The experiment was considered crazy by some people, but US researchers behind the study shared that it was very useful in controlling the risks posed to the public by influenza viruses spreading among species. wild bird.

The team used a process called reverse genetics to examine the infamous flu strain of 1918.

New viruses are created by using fragments of flu strains in wild birds, then transformed to make it easily spread to other animals through the air.

A report published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe said the study shows that genetic components for such a pandemic exist in nature and can be combined to create a dead disaster. people.

But Lord May, the former director of scientific advising for the UK government, said the University of Wisconsin-Madison project was "extremely dangerous".

He told The Guardian: "The work they are doing is extremely crazy. The whole action is extremely dangerous! It is true that there are dangers, but it does not stem from the viruses present in the animals, it comes from the lab of those who have crazy ambitions. "

Meanwhile Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka, the head of the project, argued that his work was aimed at saving people's lives.

"The worst case scenario is the emergence of a new bird virus that is highly pathogenic to humans, such as the H5N1 virus, and is capable of spreading between people and people like seasonal influenza viruses." Our findings demonstrate the value of constantly monitoring bird flu and the need to improve influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs in preparation for a similar scenario. "