Comments on: Flu Fighters

By: Bird Flu: Any Information to Declare? | The Loom | The News of Today

Bird Flu: Any Information to Declare? | The Loom | The News of Today — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:14:53 +0000

[...] аbουt thе manipulated bird influenza (check out mу pieces fοr Line up, thе Loom, аnԁ thе Times fοr background) іѕ wіth thе goal οf [...]

By: Bird Flu: Any Information to Declare? | The Loom | Flu Symptoms, Treatment, Cold, Stomach, Swine Flu

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 01:12:38 +0000

[...] me about the ongoing debate about the manipulated bird flu (check out my pieces for Slate, the Loom, and the Times for background) is that it comes down, in large part, to information. Should the [...]

By: H5N1 Redactions: A Moot Point |

H5N1 Redactions: A Moot Point | — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:14:07 +0000

[...] arguments have been made on the internet, in academic journals and perhaps most heatedly in a panel discussion at the New York Academy of Science in which both Palese and Racaniello had the opportunity to [...]

By: slim

slim — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:51:23 +0000

Think of the consequences of HIV deniers being in charge back in the 1980s, and now think about the MLV-related virus deniers who control everything now.

By: My Picks – 11th February 2012 « Joy of Science

My Picks – 11th February 2012 « Joy of Science — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:34:13 +0000

[...] Zimmer reports on a debate about whether details of experiments that gave an already existing virus the ability to spread from [...]

By: gsgs

gsgs — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:50:19 +0000

it all depends on the details of that experiment. How big is the danger
of abuse, how important the information for developing countermeasures ?
The panelists are talking about the subject without addressing
these details which are to be kept secret. We don’t even know
whether or how much they know about those details.
Are their real opinions not dominated by those details ?
And secrecy forces them to find other public arguments for
those opinions …
I’d also like to know whether the panelists have an own interest in the
issue. Osterholm’s agenda is known since long. It’s his job to paint
a pessimistic picture.
Palese’s lab may suffer from the restrictions. Garrett sells books,
Racaniello is bound to his opinion on earlier similar things, etc.
Where are the independent experts, knowing about the experiment details,
weighting pros and cons ?

By: 4u1e

4u1e — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:42:39 +0000

You make an odd point in noting that humans are bad at estimating risk (true) but then supporting that statement with a single example of apparently risky research that did not in fact lead to any negative impact.

A single data point tells us nothing at all about whether research into potentially dangerous viruses is a significant risk to the species or not. It’s like saying that there is no risk involved in crossing a busy road blindfolded because you know someone who did it once and survived.

By: Brian Krueger

Brian Krueger — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:19:20 +0000

“Doing it for research for the sake of research isn’t good enough when an accidental release could wipe out half of humanity.”

Someone is gulping the fear monger kool-aid. H5 is probably going to reassort down this path anyway. Would you rather be blind to the threat or prepared for how to treat it? I’m with the latter. There are plenty of other nasty viruses that have the potential to wipe out humanity (Filoviruses, poxviruses, etc). The overblown fear mongering exhibited by Osterholm helps no one. His flippant dismissal of valid arguments and work by other well respected researchers in the field shows that he has an agenda and is not working for the best interests of the community at large. Osterholm seems like he’s posturing for more high profile interviews with Oprah. Who knows, maybe he’ll get a spin off show out of the deal. He can join the likes of Dr. Oz in promoting chicanery and nonsense to drive up the ratings.

By: Ian Marsman

Ian Marsman — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:49:16 +0000

No one will be made safer by restrictions on what will rapidly become cheaper and cheaper and easier and easier for more and more people to do. What we need is to be able to make vaccines and medicines that provide broad protection against disease. We won’t get there by hiding the results of research, the very information on how pathogens adapt to be able to live in new hosts.

By: Bird Flu Mutation Causes Fears Of Deadly Epidemic | Is the End soon?

Bird Flu Mutation Causes Fears Of Deadly Epidemic | Is the End soon? — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:47:42 +0000

[...] Flu Fighters (blogs.discovermagazine.com) [...]

By: Nick D Waters

Nick D Waters — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:54:55 +0000

The lessons of information security are clear: Share information, always. Sharing hastens research and problem solving. Security by obscurity raises the risk of misuse by putting the information into the hands of an “elite” which encourages criminal activity to exploit weaknesses before the larger community has a chance to respond.

By: Michael Finn

Michael Finn — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:45:37 +0000

Normally I am completely for freedom of science but I have to agree with the government in this case.

What is the point in creating the single most dangerous virus on the planet? Doing it for research for the sake of research isn’t good enough when an accidental release could wipe out half of humanity.

By: Elizabeth Hart

Elizabeth Hart — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:13:54 +0000

This is a very important issue, discussion on which should not be reserved to ‘experts’ with possible conflicts of interest. The rest of us have a say in this too.

In this regard, I have forwarded an Open Letter, from a ‘layperson’s perspective’ to the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity re the political and ethical implications of lethal virus development.

My letter has been acknowledged by the acting chair of the NSABB, Paul Keim, and Michael Osterholm, a NSABB member. I have been advised my letter will be considered by the Board.

My open letter raises questions about the legitimacy of the US sponsoring lethal virus development – does this contravene the Biological Weapons Convention?

Bearing in mind the questionable effectiveness of flu vaccines, I also suggest it is time to investigate the ‘influenza industry’, particularly the relationships between vaccine manufacturers and governments and other public bodies.

The Open Letter can be accessed via this link: http://bit.ly/AfyAtQ

Elizabeth Hart

By: Flus.us » Blog Archive » Schism over H5N1 Avian Flu Research Leaks Out » Flus.us

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:07:56 +0000

[...] Update (8:41 PM, Eastern): Carl Zimmer originally posted the shorter version of Osterholm’s quote as well. Carl has since checked his tape and concluded that in fact Osterholm said, “You do not represent the mainstream of influenzologists when it comes to this issue on influenza.” [...]

By: [Avian Flu Diary] The NYAS H5N1 Panel | Influenza Virus Mashup

[Avian Flu Diary] The NYAS H5N1 Panel | Influenza Virus Mashup — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:02:15 +0000

[...] Flu Fighters [...]

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:53:04 +0000

I hypothsize that close relatives of bird flu helped to finish off the dinosaurs; the KT bolide didn’t do it all alone.