Mammalian-Transmissible H5N1 Virus: Containment Level and Case Fatality Ratio

Abstract

Dr. Casadevall serves on the NSABB, and the views expressed in this Editorial do not represent official policy or those of the NSABB. In addition, the views expressed in this Editorial do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM . The life sciences, and the field of microbiology in particular, are in the midst of an unprecedented debate regarding the risks posed by the publication of two studies that report the generation of mammalian-transmissible H5N1 virus in the laboratory. The controversy was precipitated when the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) advised the U.S. government that the best course of action was to seek a redaction of the manuscripts to delete important details that could be used for nefarious purposes (1, 2). In a recent issue, mBio published pro- and anti-NSABB decision commentaries (3–6) with the goal of informing the debate and the hope that airing these views would lead to the best decisions. At the time of this writing the issue remains unsettled, and a fierce debate is raging in government and academic circles on the best course of action. Even with the question of how to publish these studies unsettled, two …