to withhold details so that they could not be copied by terrorists

A scientist who unleashed a media storm after he developed incredibly dangerous and contagious versions of the H5N1 bird flu virus has argued that the he must be given permission to continue developing these deadly viruses despite security fears that they could end up in the wrong hands.

Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka who agreed to a 60 day stop to his studies in order to allay fears said that he hoped that he would be given the backing to continue developing his research. Professor Kawaoka who works at both Tokyo University and the University of Wisconsin Madison wrote in the clinical journal Nature that it was essential that his work continued in the interest of all humanity.

Just recently two leading clinical journals Nature and Science were asked by the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity to withhold certain details of their studies so that they could not be replicated by terrorists and used as weapons of mass destruction. Professor Kawaoka is not alone in researching these viruses as a second scientist Professor Ron Fouchier from the Erasmus Medical College in Holland was also asked to hold his research for the time being.

Professor Kawaoka said that the benefits of understanding how the H5N1 influenza virus mutated far outweighed any risks that his research presented. He pointed out that the Spanish flu virus of the early twentieth century had killed upwards of 20 million people and therefore his research was vital. He also pointed out that some of the mutations of the virus were already happening and that it was more of a question of when the virus mutated into more deadly form than if it would.

Scientists have argued that the bird flu virus is much more dangerous than the Spanish flu because it kills far more people who contract it. Despite the fact that only about 600 people have actually caught the bird flu virus it has killed about half of them compared to less than the one percent death rate of the Spanish flu.