H/T Antoinette

By Maggie Fox

Flu experts have made a mutant version of the 1918 “Spanish flu” virus that killed tens of millions of people, sparking a new debate over whether such work is too dangerous.

Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin says the experiments are important for helping scientists understand how new pandemics start, and for designing better flu vaccines.

“Because avian influenza viruses in nature require only a few changes to adapt to humans and cause a pandemic, it is important to understand the mechanisms involved in adaptation and identify the key mutations so we can be better prepared,” Kawaoka said in a statement.

PHILIPPE LOPEZ / AFP – Getty Images
Officials wearing masks and protective suits proceed to cull chickens in Hong Kong after the deadly H7N9 bird flu virus was discovered in poultry imported from mainland China. New research has created a highly deadly — and very infectious