Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, also known as "bird flu", A(H5N1) or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness and even death in humans and many other animal species.
A Dutch research team led by Ron Fouchier at Rotterdam's Erasmus Medical Centre announced that they have created a mutant version of the H5N1 bird flu virus that could for the first time be spread among mammals.
The team had discovered that transmission of the virus was possible between humans and can be carried out more easily than first thought. A team of virologists at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Tokyo have also reportedly showed similar results.
In the meantime, a US government's science advisory committee has urged the US journal Science and the British journal Nature to withhold key details so that people seeking to harm the public would not be able to manufacture the virus that could cause millions of deaths. Both Science and Nature said they were considering the US government's non-binding request.
It is likely that the virus is contagious among humans for the first time, and could trigger a lethal pandemic if it emerged in nature.
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