Paper On Super Flu Strain May Be Banned From Publication

Pierre Bezukhov writes with this excerpt from an article at Doctor Tipster: "A Dutch researcher has created a virus with the potential to kill half of the planet's population. Now, researchers and experts in bioterrorism debate whether it is a good idea to publish the virus creation 'recipe'. However, several voices argue that such research should have not happened in the first place. The virus is a strain of avian influenza H5N1 genetically modified to be extremely contagious ... created by researcher Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands. The work was first presented at a conference dedicated to influenza that took place in September in Malta."

Comments

What could possibly go wrong?

[bradorsomething]

Dr. Fouchier could not be reached at his volcano-based research facility for comment.

Reminds me of GLaDOS

[Anonymous Coward]

Lynn Enquist, quoted in the article, reminds me of GLaDOS:

I find it really, really hard to think about telling people not to do science.

Alert the Vendor

[StikyPad]

Obviously the responsible thing to do is to give the vendor time to fix the vulnerability. I propose the researcher submit his findings to God and wait 5-7 days for a response before full disclosure.

Re:Peh.

[spyder-implee]

You do realise that half the world could die from a virus like this without anybody from America ever being infected, right?

Re:Barn doors and horses:

[ColdWetDog]

Well gentleman, we can stop this problem in it's tracks.

We will patent the little motherfucker.

Re:Peh.

[fractoid]

That's assuming, as well, that travel is not restricted once an epidemic is identified ( which of course it would be ).

Fucking Madagascar.