| ■ Genetic Blueprints of Flu Viruses Made Public | 06.08.24 |
| Hoping to boost flu research, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week put the genetic blueprints of more than 650 flu viruses in a public database accessible to researchers around the world. The information was added to an influenza database housed at the Los Alamos National Laboratories and to Genbank, a public-access library for virus sequences that's managed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The information about naturally circulating viruses in the United States includes data from the annual flu season, animal flu viruses that infect people, and new flu strains (such as bird flu) that may emerge in the United States. "With more information, the world's influenza experts can advance our understanding of the viruses circulating, potentially create new prevention strategies and treatments, and ultimately help us better protect the health of people around the world," Dr. Nancy Cox, director of the CDC's Influenza Division, said in a prepared statement. Previously, access to genetic data about flu viruses was limited to a small number of scientists who work together with the World Health Organization |