Controversial flu research to be paused

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Scientists who created a mutant strain of bird flu virus that raised U.S. fears of human infection say they've agreed to a 60-day pause in their research.

The flu researchers announced their decision in a statement published Thursday in two journals that had intended to publish the controversial flu studies, Nature and Science.

In December, the U.S. government asked both journals to publish only a bare outline of the flu studies but hold back details "that could enable replication of the experiments by those who would seek to do harm."

Nature and Science and the research authors agreed to the request to allow time to create a mechanism for communicating the research information to legitimate flu researchers on a need-to-know basis, Nature News reported.

While bioterrorism is one worry connected with the publication of the research, many scientists say they are more worried about a possible bird flu pandemic if the mutated virus escaped from the labs where it was created.

The controversy has caused a split in the scientific community, with some researchers saying the research could provide public health benefits and others saying they believe the research should never have been conducted.

The research authors, in their journal statement, said, "We recognize that we and the rest of the scientific community need to clearly explain the benefits of this important research and the measures taken to minimize its possible risks."