A Dutch researchers team has found that the virus needs only five favorable gene mutations to become transmissible like regular flu viruses, through coughing or sneezing, being finally a very dangerous deadly virus. Because in such conditions it might be used by terrorists to stage a biological catastrophic attack, the research was halted by the government. This virus can produce, in other words, a devastating pandemic threatening the human existence all around the world.
To have this conclusion, a first mutation of virus genes was made in the laboratory. At this time it is unclear if other mutations are susceptible to occur outside the laboratory. If the imagined mutations of the virus will change its actual structure, the H5N1 virus will have an improved ability to latch onto cells in the animal’s upper respiratory tract, it could enter the cells, replicate inside and become more stable. A positive thing was that the altered virus in the laboratory was less deadly than the natural version. A temporary moratorium on the research was imposed.
