Science Alert: U.S. announces new policy for pathogens that could cause pandemics

The government lifted a three-year moratorium Tuesday on funding for research into ways that certain viruses can be made more virulent and transmissable, announcing a new plan for assessing applications to study these and other dangerous pathogens. The new policy for pathogens capable of creating a pandemic will allow researchers who want to study them to apply for funding through the new process outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services. The end of the moratorium applies to research on the SARS, MERS and influenza viruses. The October 2014 pause was put in place after researchers in Wisconsin and the Netherlands sparked a debate by announcing in 2011 that they had made the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus more contagious in mammals.

Democracy Dies in Darkness     Science Alert Tue, Dec 19, 2017, 9:04 AM     U.S. announces new policy for pathogens that could cause pandemics The government lifted a three-year moratorium Tuesday on funding for research into ways that certain viruses can be made more virulent and transmissable, announcing a new plan for assessing applications to study these and other dangerous pathogens. The new policy for pathogens capable of creating a pandemic will allow researchers who want to study them to apply for funding through the new process outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services. The end of the moratorium applies to research on the SARS, MERS and influenza viruses. The October 2014 pause was put in place after researchers in Wisconsin and the Netherlands sparked a debate by announcing in 2011 that they had made the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus more contagious in mammals. Read more » Advertisement You received this email because you signed up for news alerts from The Washington Post. Manage my newsletters and alerts | Unsubscribe Privacy Policy | Help ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071