Researchers suspend study of H5N1 mutations

[hawkeye]

Ron Fouchier of Erasmus Medical College in the Netherlands, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin, Madison have suspended their research

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/20/us-birdflu-search-idUSTRE80J1HU20120120

[sharon sanders]

Re: Researchers suspend study of H5N1 mutations

So, while there have been 10 documented human H5N1 cases in the last 6 weeks, all research has been stopped for 60 days.

Yesterday it was announced that a girl in Egypt had a "light" case of H5N1 in Egypt in October 2011 and was treated as an out-patient. Only surveillance testing found this case.

And today there is news that the Indonesian health minister suspects oseltamivir resistance in human cases.

Maybe this is not the best timing for a moratorium?

[hawkeye]

Re: Researchers suspend study of H5N1 mutations

I would assume government labs are still researching, just not the universities?

[sharon sanders]

Re: Researchers suspend study of H5N1 mutations

I think all renowned virologists who research H5N1 have agreed to the moratorium. So the most experienced people are offline.