US seeks gag on bird flu details over terror fears

THE US government asked scientists not to reveal all the details of how to make a version of the deadly bird flu that they created in labs in the US and Europe.

The lab-bred virus, being kept under high security, appears to spread more easily among mammals. That has fuelled worry that publishing a blueprint could aid terrorists in creating a biological weapon, the National Institutes of Health said.

But the NIH said it was important for the overall findings to be published in scientific journals, because they suggest it may be easier than previously thought for bird flu to mutate on its own and become a greater threat.

“It’s very important research,” said NIH science policy director Dr Amy Patterson. “As this virus evolves in nature, we want to be able to rapidly detect ... mutations that may indicate that the virus is getting closer to a form that could cross species lines more readily.”

Bird flu, known formally as H5N1 avian influenza, occasionally infects people who have close contact with infected poultry, particularly in parts of Asia. It is highly deadly when it infects people because it is different from typical human flu bugs. The concern is that one day it may spread easily easily between people.

The NIH paid for two research projects, at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and at the University of Wisconsin, to better understand what might fuel the virus’ ability to spread.