Pause on avian flu transmission studies
Fouchier RA, García-Sastre A, Kawaoka Y, Barclay WS, Bouvier NM, Brown IH, Capua I, Chen H,
Compans RW, Couch RB, Cox NJ, Doherty PC, Donis RO, Feldmann H, Guan Y, Katz J,
Klenk HD, Kobinger G, Liu J, Liu X, Lowen A, Mettenleiter TC, Osterhaus AD,
Palese P, Peiris JS, Perez DR, Richt JA, Schultz-Cherry S, Steel J, Subbarao K,
Swayne DE, Takimoto T, Tashiro M, Taubenberger JK, Thomas PG, Tripp RA, Tumpey
TM, Webby RJ, Webster RG.
“In two independent studies conducted in two leading
influenza laboratories at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Erasmus MC in
Rotterdam, the Netherlands, investigators have proved that viruses possessing a
haemagglutinin (HA) protein from highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza viruses
can become transmissible in ferrets. This is critical information that advances
our understanding of influenza transmission.”
“However, more research
is needed to determine how influenza viruses in nature become human pandemic
threats, so that they can be contained before they acquire the ability to
transmit from human to human, or so that appropriate countermeasures can be
deployed if adaptation to humans occurs.”
“Whether the ferret-adapted influenza viruses have the
ability to transmit from human to human cannot be tested.”
“We propose to do so in an international forum in which the
scientific community comes together to discuss and debate these issues.”
Quote 1 cites critical
information, although more work is needed (quote 2). This is frequently the
case in science. Quote 3 shows that we cannot be sure whether these viruses
will actually transmit between humans, despite being critical information.
Hence there is little robust information for a Health Minister.
Quote 4 was never
followed through by the flu community, or at least not in an open format.
