Risky decision
The US authorities will finance the creation of more dangerous viruses
Ilya Vedmedenko, Naked Science
A moratorium on funding research to strengthen viruses was introduced after a number of incidents in which the conditions of dangerous microorganisms were violated. In 2014, dozens of researchers from a number of organizations controlled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States could become infected with anthrax bacteria, a particularly dangerous infectious disease. The reason for this was the failure to perform all procedures aimed at inactivating the pathogen. The result was the ingress of living organisms into places where they should not have been.
Now the US authorities have lifted the moratorium on funding new research, within which the functions of viruses can be enhanced. Thus, the emergence of more deadly strains that pose a danger, including to humans, is possible.
Francis S. Collins, who heads the US National Institutes of Health, said that this step, in particular, will allow better research of influenza viruses, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). In the future, it will be possible to develop more effective methods in the fight against dangerous diseases.
Not everyone welcomed the decision of the US authorities with enthusiasm. Lifting the moratorium was perceived by some experts as a potentially dangerous step (which is quite logical given past incidents). Experts do not even rule out the release of unknown pathogenic infectious agents outside the laboratories. At the same time, the National Institutes of Health have put forward strict requirements for research organizations that want to receive funding and start working with viruses. One of the requirements is proof that employees have the opportunity to study pathogens in a safe environment. Also, the organization must have a clear plan of action in case of an emergency.
Earlier, British epidemiologists reported an unexpected outbreak of scarlet fever. As experts have found out, the disease, which was learned to treat almost 100 years ago, has become increasingly affecting people. Last year, 19 thousand cases of the disease were registered in Britain. As a hypothesis explaining what is happening, experts call hereditary changes in the functioning of the immune system, making the human body more vulnerable.
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