# 6182
This morning’s ASM BioDefense panel discussion of the NSABB’s call to redact portions of two H5N1 research papers is now online, and available to all.
In a bit of a surprise, Erasmus University researcher Ron Fouchier characterized the results of his experiments somewhat differently than we’ve seen in the past.
While the mutated virus could be spread via the aerosol route between ferrets, Fouchier reassured, "Our data suggests this virus spreads very poorly."
Fouchier also downplayed the pathogenicity of virus, stating that ferrets infected this way only suffered mild illness (it required direct deep-lung inoculation to produce death/severe illness).
“It is not highly lethal if ferrets start coughing and sneezing to one another”, he said.
One must note that when the news was `all bad’ about the transmission and pathogenicity of this mutated virus, many scientists were quick to caution us that “ferrets aren’t a perfect model for how the virus will act in humans’.
Which means that the reduced pathogenicity and transmissibility in ferrets described by Fouchier today may not necessarily translate to how the virus would act in a human host.
The 70 minute video may now be viewed at THIS LINK.
Very much worth watching.
Featuring:
Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D., MPH NSABB/CIDRAP
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D (NIAID)
Bruce Alberts, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief of Science
Ron A.M. Fouchier, Ph.D. H5N1 Researcher
