Researchers agree influenza research moratorium

An international group of 39 researchers has agreed a 60-day moratorium on research involving the H5N1 avian flu virus to “allow time for international discussion”.

The letter announcing the moratorium was published in Nature and Science on 20 January. It says that two research groups have developed H5N1 strains capable of passing easily between ferrets, which it argues has sparked fear since the research is considered a good model for mammal transmission.