Dutch researchers have managed to create such a deadly flu virus in a laboratory that it is now being investigated whether the research data may be published.
A deadly flu epidemic Of course we are not waiting for that. American experts therefore fear that information about a new deadly flu virus – which was developed by Dutch researchers – will end up in the wrong hands. After all, terrorists can use the virus as a weapon †
Bird flu
The laboratory study, on the other hand, was carried out at the request of the American health authority NIH † Ron Fouchier, professor of virology at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, subsequently succeeded in making a highly contagious variant of the bird flu virus H5N1 †
Due to changes in health insurance, a rush on medicines is expected >
Although the bird flu virus only occurs in animals, the virus very occasionally jumps from animal to human. When this happens, it is often fatal † Worldwide, more than five hundred people have died from bird flu, including a Dutch veterinarian.
Highly contagious
The Dutch Ron Fouchier was tasked with finding out if the H5N1 virus could cause an epidemic † And yes, a few mutations in the virus DNA change H5N1 into a highly contagious variant. A Japanese researcher who was given the same assignment found the same results.
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