"Biosecurity Board Asked To Review Bird Flu Research"

"Federal officials have asked a biosecurity scientist panel to broadly review bird flu transmission research for public health concerns."



"The review follows the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity's (NSABB) last month calling for withholding of details of two potentially-dangerous bird flu studies. An expert panel under the National Institutes of Health, the board has now been asked to review the state of the science looking at human transmission of deadly bird flu, says panel chief Paul Keim of Northern Arizona University.

'We are now involved in a broader review,' Keim says. News of the bird flu infection research has sparked calls for destroying the potentially-dangerous strain in editorials, amid cries of 'censorship' from some researchers. 'This research is valuable, but saying this is just 'basic' research ignores that influenza is a very special pathogen,' Keim adds."

Dan Vergano reports for USA TODAY January 10 2012.

Source: USA TODAY, 01/12/2012