December 28, 2011

New virus by Netherlands, US to fight H5N1 bird flu

The Dutch and US researchers have created a sample virus that would be quite beneficial to fight H5N1 bird flu but is also capable enough to kill half of the population and is very contagious.

There is one problem that researchers are facing. Its findings are so critical that if they get leaked to a wrong person say for example to a terrorist group then it could create havoc. Now it has been demanded that its findings should be omitted.

The US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity has advised that if they study does get publish then its critical findings should be concealed so no wrong person could take advantage out of it. But there are other health experts who think this would not be the right way to keep population safe. They all have right to do know what advancement has been done in the field of science.

Ron Fouchier is the Dutch Virologist who created the new H5NA virus. He said, "It's all about predicting what will hit you next. We want to predict earthquakes and tsunamis; we also want to predict what will happen with the bird flu virus. This work needed to be done."

It is to be known that how information should be presented to those who really need to be informed about it. Ronald Atlas, who is a biologist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, said he has been handling such cases for at least 10 years. It is very difficult to handle classified information especially in the US, said he.

The development is very useful and there is no doubt about it, but it has brought some complexities with it as well which now needs quick solution if it looks to get published in some journal and otherwise as well.