Shane Fullwood

For the past several months, there have been rumblings that governments in supposed democracies reportedly asked media outlets to downplay or not provide coverage to this topic: scientific studies of the H5N1 virus. The article below is but one that focuses on the tyranny of democratic “governments gone wild.”

(SOURCE: theconversation.au.edu)

“Two studies, one carried out in the Netherlands by Ron Fouchier and the other in Japan by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, are causing controversy over the creation of a new strain of H5N1 Avian Influenza or “bird flu” in ferrets.

“The studies have resulted in a new strain of bird flu that’s easily transmissible through air between ferrets, whose reactions to influenza closely mirrors ours.

“It’s claimed these studies could help develop new treatments against flu, assist in disease surveillance by tracking the evolution of the disease in the wild and prepare against a new pandemic.

“But the existence of a new strain of airborne avian flu is deeply concerning; half of the 600 people infected with the wild strain died. An airborne strain could spell disaster if accidentally or intentionally released. This contest between the good and bad uses of the study is an example of what bioethicists call the “dual-use dilemma”.

“Because of the risk of misuse, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) has recommended that Nature and Science, journals who will be publishing the studies, partly censor them in an effort to prevent sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands.

“The NSABB has no legal power to mandate this censorship, and this recommendation is the first of its kind.

“Unsurprisingly, on top of the attention the studies have received, the decision to censor has become the subject of controversy. Some say it is “too little, too late” while others are arguing that secrecy won’t stop anyone who really means harm.

To continue reading this article, click here.

To read two more articles, click on these links: “NAZI-land and government lies“; “Controversial research on bird flu” and “Scientists brace for media storm around controversial flu studies.”