Terror fears drive new U.N. smallpox research rules

GENEVA, May 21 (Reuters) - Global health officials have set out new guidelines governing research on smallpox due to fears that the deadly virus could leak from laboratories or wind up in terrorist hands, U.N. officials said on Saturday.

National health authorities meeting at the U.N.'s World Health Assembly approved moves to tightly control research, including a ban on scientists building the virus from scratch using rapidly developing lab technology.

"This sets out the principles by which research will be allowed," said Ian Simpson, spokesman for the U.N. World Health Organisation (WHO), host to the annual policymaking summit. Details of the decision were released late on Friday.

The Geneva-based health watchdog said it would pay particular attention to lab safety and bio-terror concerns when reviewing new research proposals on smallpox, regarded as one of the most potentially lethal weapons of biological warfare.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21479321.htm

and ship it out all over.......speaking of.....what's the latest on the flu that was shipped out in the kits?