Potential pandemic bird flu modified to be more dangerous in new risky NIH research
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has continued funding risky gain-of-function research (GoF) on potential pandemic pathogens, newly disclosed information reveals. The US government medical research agency has funded scientists to study avian influenza (bird flu) which does not transmit among humans. However, the NIH projects aim to make avian influenza viruses able to transmit among mammals and assess their pandemic potential as a possible threat to humans.
Instead of terminating all GoF research since the pandemic started NIH and its sub agency – the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), have continued their financial support for the following GoF studies: Transmissibility of Avian Influenza Viruses in Mammals (NIAID support ended in August 2021); Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) (NIAID support ended in March 2021). The third one: Mimicking evolution to define mechanisms of airborne transmission of H7N9 viruses, started on 2nd September 2021 and is ongoing.