E&C Republicans ask GAO to Assess if Dangers of Prospecting for Unknown Viruses Outweighs Benefits

Letter

KEY EXCERPTS:

"Because pandemics incur large social and economic costs, the ability to predict which viruses might lead to a pandemic would be useful for preparation. Researchers use a variety of approaches in their efforts to predict and effectively prepare for and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Such approaches include collection and studies of viruses that may have the potential to cause pandemics."

[...]

"[W]hile these predictive types of programs, such as at the [National Institutes of Health] NIH and [United States Agency for International Development] USAID, have collected and identified thousands of new viruses from all over the world, their benefit to preventing pandemics is uncertain. For example, some researchers have questioned whether collecting and characterizing viruses found in animals can accurately predict those that may infect humans, or what the effect would be if and when humans are subsequently infected. Others have suggested these types of programs risk unintentional infection of field or laboratory researchers that could result in an accidental outbreak."

Source