Mutated H5N1 Virus Research To Remain Under Wraps For Now, Says WHO

The temporary moratorium on research on lab-modified bird flu (H5N1) viruses is to be extended, and the publication of the studies' "entire manuscript" is to be delayed. This was the conclusion of a small group of experts who met to discuss the two issues - the meeting, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, involved 21 experts, including the leaders of the two research centers, one in the Netherlands and the other in the USA, the research funders, bioethicists and several WHO directors who specialize in influenza.

In a written communiqué, WHO (World Health Organization) informed that the experts believe research on other H5N1 influenza viruses - the naturally-occurring ones - should continue "in order to protect public health".

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General of Health Security and Environment, WHO, said:

"Given the high death rate associated with this virus -- 60% of all humans who have been infected have died -- all participants at the meeting emphasized the high level of concern with this flu virus in the scientific community and the need to understand it better with additional research.

The results of this new research have made it clear that H5N1 viruses have the potential to transmit more easily between people underscoring the critical importance for continued surveillance and research with this virus."

Two research laboratories - one in the USA and the other in The Netherlands - have created more human-transmissible versions of the H5N1 influenza virus. The WHO meeting's aim was to have an exchange of opinions that have arisen because of this research.

There is serious concern that if the laboratory-altered viruses get out of the research centers and end up in human populations, the consequences could be devastating. Bird flu has a very high death rate, over 50% and 60% in many areas. In its natural form, H5N1 is not easily human-transmissible, if it were and managed to spread and cause a pandemic, the global human death toll could be tragic. The laboratory-altered viruses are more human-transmissible than the naturally-occurring ones.

The members of this meeting agreed that it is better to publish the entire manuscript, than only part of it (on the laboratory altered viruses). In order to do this, more discussions are needed.

Fukuda said:

"There is a preference from a public health perspective for full disclosure of the information in these two studies. However there are significant public concern surrounding this research that should first be addressed."

WHO informs that there are two critical issues:

• Increase public understanding and awareness of this research through communications
• Biosecurity and biosafety (related to the new laboratory-modified bird flu virus)

Some background information on the laboratory-altered H5N1 virus

Ron Fouchier, of the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, presented his work in an influenza conference in Malta in September 2011 - regarding five mutations which had been introduced into the H5N1 genome. The virus was consequently bred by transmitting it from the noses of infected ferrets to healthy ferrets - this was repeated ten times.

At the conference, Fouchier described the laboratory-altered virus as:

"Probably one of the most dangerous viruses
you can make"

US authorities are concerned that the full manuscripts on the laboratory-altered H5N1 research - which will probably be published in scientific journals during the next couple of months - could be used by bioterrorists. A growing number of people, including scientists, believe all evidence of the research, as well as virus samples should be destroyed. Others say that bird flu exists, it has the potential to become a serious problem one day because viruses mutate naturally anyway, and that all research is useful in finding ways to prevent a pandemic. Open and free use of scientific literature is needed on a global scale if we really want to tackle bird flu head-on, they add