Name______Date______LiteracyLab#2:ScientistsandtheBirdFlu
“U.S.Bio-SecurityOfficialsSoundWarning AfterScientistsCreateDeadly NewStrainofBirdFlu”
Directions:Takeafew minutesto read thearticlebeloweitheronline(or on thebackof thispage.)Writeresponsestothestatementsorquestionsbelow.Cut/copy/pasteisnotallowed–useyourownwordsandthoughts,basedinresearchif needed.
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Fact-finding:Listthreefactsthatyoulearned inthisarticle.1.
2.
3.
Vocabulary:Listanddefinethreeunfamiliarwordsinthespacebelow.
Implications:Whatareyourfeelingsaboutthis“discovery”?Expressyourfeelings(tactfully)aboutwhetherthisis anadvancementofscienceorabadidea.
U.S.Bio-SecurityOfficialsSoundWarningAfterScientistsCreateDeadlyNewStrainofBirdFlu
PublishedDecember20,2011
TheU.S.governmentissoundingthealarmafterreports thatDutchscientistshavecreatedahighly-contagiousanddeadlyairbornestrain ofbird fluthatispotentiallycapableofkillingmillions,TheIndependentreportedTuesday.
TheU.S.NationalScienceAdvisoryBoardforBiosecurityiscurrentlyanalyzinghowmuchofthescientists'informationshouldbeallowed tobepublished—giventheinherentrisksofhavingtheinformationfallintothehandsofterroristsorroguestates.
"Thefearisthatifyoucreatesomethingthisdeadlyanditgoesintoaglobalpandemic,the mortalityandcosttotheworldcouldbe massive,"a seniorUS governmentadvisertoldTheIndependent.
Scientists,too,arequestioningwhetherthescienceshouldeverhavebeenperformed inthefirstplace.
"Therearepeoplewhosay thattheworkshouldneverhavebeendone,orifitwasdone itshouldhavebeendoneinasettingwhere theinformation couldbebettercontrolled,"asourceclosetotheUSbiosecurityboardtoldthenewspaper.
"Withinfluenzanowitispossibleto reverseengineerthevirus.It'sprettycommontechnologyinmanypartsoftheworld.Withthegenomicsequence,youcanreconstructit.That'swhere theinformationisdangerous."
Themutatedformofthe H5N1strainofavianinfluenzawascreatedbyaDutchteamofscientistsledbyRonFouchier,ofRotterdam'sErasmus MedicalCentre,andtheresearchersarenowhoping topublishthedetailsofhowtheydevelopedthenewstrain.
Thenewvirusdiffersfrom H5N1—which isonlyknownto betransmittedbetweenhumanswhohaveveryclosecontactwitheachother—becauseitcanbe transmittedthroughtheairincoughsandsneezes.
Fouchier,whodeclinedtoanswerTheIndependent'squestions,saidina statementthatitonlytookasmallnumberofmutationstochangetheavianfluvirus.
"Wehavediscoveredthatthisisindeedpossible,andmoreeasilythanpreviouslythought.Inthelaboratory,itwaspossibletochangeH5N1intoan aerosol-transmissiblevirusthatcaneasilyberapidlyspreadthroughtheair,"hesaid.
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