Bird flu virus could be used as bioweapon, say experts

[pola]

http://www.newstarget.com/005289.html

Posted Mar 6, 2005 PT
Bird flu virus could be used as bioweapon, say experts

Experts on virology warn that it would be a relatively simple task to genetically engineer the H5N1 virus (bird flu) into a viral agent that could spread widely without the need for human-animal contact. The use of such an agent as a deliberate infective weapon would be difficult to detect, because the H5N1 virus could mutate into a human-transmissible form without human intervention. Be sure to read the related article, H5N1 avian strain expected to become next viral pandemic.

See more articles like this one at www.BirdFluReport.org

Original news summary: (http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02230501/Pandemic_Bioweapon.html)

Since the WSN/33 situation in Korea provides some valuable insight into detection and reporting of bird or human flu, and wire services are carrying stories about biologic attacks by terrorists causing a contagious disease, it is worth reviewing some of the lessons learned from the swine WSN/33 infections.

If pandemic flu is the contagious disease of choice, selection of WSN/33 at this time would offer some advantages. It is already transmissible from human-to-human, has been shown to be lethal in mice, has mutations in NA and PB2 that increase lethality, is widely available, and could be used without genetic manipulation.

As has been seen in Korea, introduction of the agent into pigs would allow it to spread almost undetected. Verification of its spread (or existence) has proven to be exceedingly difficult. Movement from swine to humans has not been reported and all reported isolates are missing the PB2 mutation. This may be due to a survival selection offered by recombining or reassorting with prevalent H9N2 subtypes. Most of the swine isolates have an avian PB2, but even the isolates that have half of a human PB2 have the 3' half of the human gene replaced with avian sequences. Thus, the results from the Korean swine may indicate that starting with a very lethal virus has disadvantages in that a less lethal virus will emerge virtually undetected.

A second choice would be the H5N1 currently causing the high case fatality rate in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. This version would be even more available, since it is excreted in large amounts by asymptomatic ducks, and is present in multiple organs in fatal infections. Although human-to-human transmission of H5N1 is limited, infecting a few international travelers would generate worldwide panic if these passengers became ill outside of areas with indigenous H5N1. Use of infected currency as a vector for transmission has been widely discussed.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[Skwmom]

1. The bird flu as a terrorist weapon was reported on a long time ago. n/t

[pola]

2. This was the first time I had seen the actual article

maybe a few others missed it too....

[Kailassa]

3. Yep, I hadn't seen it before. n/t