Scientists to Pause Research on Deadly Strain of Bird Flu

The scientists who altered a deadly flu virus to make it more contagious have agreed to suspend their research for 60 days to give other researchers around the world time to discuss the work and determine the best way to proceed.

A letter explaining the decision is being published in two scientific journals, Science and Nature, which also plan to publish reports on the research, but in a redacted form omitting details that would let other researchers copy the experiments. The letter is signed by the scientists who produced the new, more contagious form of the flu virus, as well as by other leading flu researchers.

The scientists say their work has important public health benefits, but they acknowledge that it has sparked intense public fears that the deadly virus could accidentally leak out of a laboratory, or be stolen by terrorists, and result in a devastating pandemic. A national biosecurity panel in the United States has already taken the unusual step of asking the scientists to keep part of their data secret to prevent others from reproducing their work.

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