Scientists lift freeze on controversial flu research

Scientists lift freeze on controversial flu research

news.ph.msn.com

Citing a "public health responsibility" to continue the work, the teams said research will resume in countries whose governments had given the go-ahead, but not in the United States, which is mulling safety guidelines, nor at US-sponsored research projects in other countries.

"We declare an end to the voluntary moratorium on avian-flu transmission studies," said an announcement published jointly in the US-based journal Science and its British counterpart Nature and signed by 40 scientists from research institutions in a dozen countries.

Teams in the United States and the Netherlands

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Related News Links:
www.abc.net.au

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Controversial Mutant Bird Flu Paper Published after Months of Intense Debate
Bioterror fears halt research on mutant bird flu

It appears they have changed their mind and plan on researching the artificially created "mutant bird flu" virus that has previously been in the news.

This first made headlines last year and was discussed on ATS but from what I can see from my search it did not gather very much attention.

They stopped the research due to various fears such as the chance of it escaping from the labs or landing in the hands of terrorists.

Personally, I have always believed most of the hype we hear about from the various flu viruses have been over exaggerated but there are several examples throughout our history of some very serious flu pandemics that killed a lot of people from all over the world, even as recent as the last century.

My fear is that these "geniuses" screw up and accidentally/purposely release this into the general population whether it be by animal or human transmission.

By the sounds of it this mutant bird flu is very dangerous and could cause a very serious global pandemic. Let's hope these people have good intentions and are very careful with their research.

I know that research on this type of stuff can be a good thing but I am always suspicious of the people behind the studies as they are usually backed by Big-Pharma and I do not trust them very much for obvious reasons.

Let's hope their research is as innocent as they claim it to be.

news.ph.msn.com
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They might be serving the best interests of people but the question is, which people? I am an anti vaccine type of guy and I won't change my views on this either. I have never had a vaccine apart from the tetnus every now and then but what gets me about the bird flu is that we don't hear much about it anymore. Is it still causing issues in certain countries or is this just a pre-cautionary thing for the future? As quick as the virus came, it disappeared..

reply to post by DarknStormy


I am also what you would consider "anti vaccine" as the last one I got was a tetanus vaccine after I had my lip cut by a ring in a drunken bar fight around 10 years ago so I'm probably due for another according to them, but I doubt I will be getting it.

As for the virus disappearing, I always hear about flocks of birds being found with various strains of avian flu but as far as I am aware this exact strain they have been tinkering with has never been found outside of the labs where they created and studied it.

Hopefully this will never make it's way into the general population.

And I agree with you, who's interests are they serving?

Originally posted by Corruption Exposed
reply to post by DarknStormy

 

As for the virus disappearing, I always hear about flocks of birds being found with various strains of avian flu but as far as I am aware this exact strain they have been tinkering with has never been found outside of the labs where they created and studied it.

If this is a lab thing, it better stay in the lab. It isn't a direct threat to society and I would hate something like this magically slipping out.. I don't like the idea of creating these strains unless it has been discovered naturally and we then must deal with the virus. We really like playing with fire sometimes.. Hopefully this doesn't become an issue down the track.

I am very concern about this news now, if you read the article, this virus was very rarely transmitted to humans until research created a hybrid that could do just that, then more humans started to show infections

Now, that the damage is done they want to created vaccines for possible human pandemic.

This is very clear, the avian flu virus that now infects humans is a hybrid of the original, thanks to research, so that is what looks to me.

One of these days human kind is going to face some serious consequences for playing God.......Oh wait....


I am all for pushing the scientific frontier but I tend to be a bit more critical of research that could so easily become the proverbial Frankenstein.

reply to post by marg6043


It makes you wonder what those scientists are actually doing and what their intentions are, thats for sure. At least we know that if it does make its way to the population, it came from (add your lab here)...

Originally posted by DarknStormy
reply to post by marg6043

 

It makes you wonder what those scientists are actually doing and what their intentions are, thats for sure. At least we know that if it does make its way to the population, it came from (add your lab here)...

You may already be aware, but a significant number of revolutionary discoveries have come from researching things with hazardous natures.

Simple example: Snake Venom is used to synthesize anti-venoms, even though the progenitor is inheritably deadly.

reply to post by marg6043


What really worries me is they purposely created this mutant strain in the hopes of "enhancing their research" which I find to be rather ridiculous. There is no need for the existence of these mutant super strains, even if they think it will help them better understand a natural mutation, which is what I believe is their excuse for creating it in the first place.

Wouldn't it be convenient if it somehow landed in the hands of the "terrorists" ?

This leaves me the option to speculate on many options but I rather not as I could go on forever with the possible conspiracies behind this, even though it could be as innocent as they claim, but I have my doubts.

We should not be creating super mutant strains of anything. The only reason they do this is usually for weaponized purposes and I would hate to see anyone unleash this with the intention of using it as a weapon.

Originally posted by MDDoxs
You may already be aware, but a significant number of revolutionary discoveries have come from researching things with hazardous natures.

Simple example: Snake Venom is used to synthesize anti-venoms, even though the progenitor is inheritably deadly.

I am well aware of those discoveries and they are great ones at that. What I don't like is us creating viruses in labs which have the potential to slip into society whether its delibrate or by accident.. I understand we must research certain things but when we are creating the monsters ourselves, it sends a shiver down my spine. All it takes is one mistake and we are toast. The flus spread like wildfire and I would hate to see the end result of something like this strain.

reply to post by DarknStormy


That is exactly my view of this issue, it is sad that we are at the mercy of big pharma and research labs that can play around with the lives of billions of people in order to create pandemics for profits.

Then we very soon will have mandated vaccinations regardless for viruses that while in nature are not a real danger until tampered with in a lab.

Is so darn clear I am still shaking my head about this article in the opening, is just incredible.

for what I gather the article is an actual confession of how the avian virus got the way it is.

How many other viruses have their origins on the same tactics.

reply to post by MDDoxs


While that is true, snake venom doesn't create or have the capability of creating a killer pandemic and kill millions of people.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


The sad part is that the terrorist references is just the way they justified the mess they have created, because in my views those that created the hybrid are the terrorist themselves if that hybrid version has killed people already.

reply to post by DarknStormy

I am well aware of those discoveries and they are great ones at that. What I don't like is us creating viruses in labs which have the potential to slip into society whether its delibrate or by accident.. I understand we must research certain things but when we are creating the monsters ourselves, it sends a shiver down my spine. All it takes is one mistake and we are toast. The flus spread like wildfire and I would hate to see the end result of something like this strain.

Couldn’t agree with you more. When messing around with the very fabric of nature, that has the potential to spread so rapidly, you really need solid justification for delving into it.

Grant it, biological weapons have already been extensively researched and developed, but somehow the relatively benign nature of flu seems make some under estimate it.

I think we run into a Pandora’s Box type scenario where we have no clue what could come of this research; It could be incredibly beneficial or incredibly destructive.

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by DarknStormy

 

How many other viruses have their origins on the same tactics.

Well thats another good question.. Is it possible that when they have popped up in the past, they were planted delibrate? It certainly can't be discounted.

Originally posted by marg6043
reply to post by MDDoxs

 

While that is true, snake venom doesn't create or have the capability of creating a killer pandemic and kill millions of people.

True, but the relation is the somewhat the same. The consequences however are a much different scale, like you have suggested.

reply to post by MDDoxs


Don't get me wrong I am all for technological advances in medical treatments specially cures as what big pharma have is a monopoly of mostly ineffective and dangerous "treatments" without "cures" to satisfy their share holders and maximize profits at the expense of human lab rats that are not short in supply this days and times.

Who needs lab animals to do research when "treatments" can do the job on humans.

reply to post by MDDoxs


reply to post by marg6043


I understand where both of you are coming from and the points you are trying to make. I partially agree with MDDoxs's comparison of snake venom cures as an example of productive eperimentation on certain cures and treatments, but I am glad he pointed out his acknowledgement in the differences between curing snake bites and creating mutant strains of bird flu which could end up causing catostrophic consequences.

I also agree with marg6043's observation that big pharma are not looking for cures, but for treatments as there is more money in this. At the very least, this could be another reason to push the next newest vaccine upon us. Anyone remember the weaponized smallpox scare a few years ago?

Personally, in my opinion, I do not see anything good coming from this study unless you have stocks in the companies who manufacture vaccines.

There are also more sinister scenarios that can occur due to this experimentation which I rather not speculate about just yet due to lack of proof on my behalf, but I am confident that a lot of us are quite aware of what these experiments might be intended for, but perhaps my tin foil hat is on too tight today

Cheers!

reply to post by Corruption Exposed

understand where both of you are coming from and the points you are trying to make. I partially agree with MDDoxs's comparison of snake venom cures as an example of productive eperimentation on certain cures and treatments, but I am glad he pointed out his acknowledgement in the differences between curing snake bites and creating mutant strains of bird flu which could end up causing catostrophic consequences.

Oh yes, I am quite aware of disasterous consequences of ill-prepared / poorly researched attempts at modifying viral / bacterial strains.

However, as per my simple example, here are but a few other examples (more at source):

Viruses in medicine

Viruses are being used as vectors or carriers that take the required material for treatment of a disease to various target cells. They have been studied extensively in management of inherited diseases and genetic engineering as well as cancers.

Viruses in nanotechnology

Nanotechnology deals with microscopic particles. These have various uses in biology and medicine and nanotechnology has been used in genetic engineering. Viruses can be used as carriers for genetically modified sequences of genomes to the host cells.

Viruses and vaccines

Viruses have been used since the time of Edward Jenner in vaccines. Jenner used cow pox viruses to inoculate people against small pox infection.

Vaccines against polio, measles, chicken pox etc. use live and weakened viruses causing the disease or dead virus particles. These, when introduced into an healthy individual, help the immune system to recognise and mount an immunity against the virus. The body remembers the organism and attacks it in case of a later infection thus preventing the disease.

And also the negative side

Viruses in weapons and biological warfare

Viruses may be tiny but have the capacity to cause death and devastation to large populations in epidemics and pandemics. This has led to the concern that viruses could be used for biological warfare.

However, this one bothers me due to its possible unintended implications

Viruses and biological pest control

Viruses can also be used to control damaging pests. Traditionally this has been used in agriculture, but applications exist in the control of agents important to human health as well.

The types of agents used for this purpose may prey on the target species, may be parasites on the target pests, be pathogens or cause disease in the target species or may be competing species.

Viruses used for pest control are commonly pathogens causing disease of the target species. Although they account for a small amount of total pesticide use, viruses are used for the control of multiple species of insects and also for rabbits.

Biological agents can produce long-lasting effects and in some cases are able to spread among the target population. They have also been recognized as inherently less toxic than conventional pesticides by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Their disadvantages include limited range of action, slow effects compared to chemical agents, high costs of initial treatment, low environmental stability, particularly in sunlight etc.

Reviewed by April Cashin-Garbutt, BA Hons (Cantab)

I truely fear the ramifications of introducing a viral infection in food chains and the uncertain nature of cumlative effects and mutations.

As with everything, there is always someone wanting to push the boundaries without thought of potential consequences.

Source: www.news-medical.net...