At present scientists are abiding by a voluntary moratorium on research involving highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses leading to the generation of viruses that are transmissible in mammals. The moratorium was initiated by influenza researchers from around the world last year after two papers, submitted to Nature and Science by the groups of Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Ron Fouchier and their colleagues, respectively, raised concerns. They chose to halt research for 60 days and later extended the break, citing the need to explain the public-health benefits of the work and describe measures to minimise possible risks, and to enable organisations and governments to review their policies regarding these experiments. The Correspondence states that the signatories believe the aims of the voluntary moratorium have been met in some countries and are close to being met in others, and that avian-flu researchers have a public-health responsibility to resume their research.
There is an accompanying Nature Editorial commenting on this Correspondence.
A copy of the Correspondence and the Nature Editorial can be viewed on the Nature press site.
Corresponding authors:
Yoshihiro Kawaoka (University of Tokyo, Japan; and University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA)
E-mail: [email protected]
Ron Fouchier (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
E-mail: [email protected]
Adolfo García-Sastre (Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY, USA)
E-mail: [email protected]
Alternative contacts:
Alice Henchley (Nature London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail: [email protected]
Rachel Twinn (Nature London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4658; E-mail: [email protected]
Neda Afsarmanesh (Nature New York)
Tel: +1 212 726 9231; E-mail: [email protected]
Eiji Matsuda (Nature Tokyo)
Tel: +81 3 3267 8751; E-mail: [email protected]
Special Note:
The journals Nature and Science are jointly publishing a Correspondence, signed by numerous researchers, declaring a resumption of research involving avian influenza H5N1 viruses. Please refer also to the Science Press Package on EurekAlert! at www.eurekalert.org/jrnls/sci/ or contact the SciPak team at +1 202 326 6440 or [email protected].
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