Scientists and experts from the United Nation's World Health Organisation (WHO), said they will soon publish results of recent experiments on the H5N1 bird flu virus, despite the possibility of it being misused by terrorists.

The WHO had earlier organised a two-day meeting to discuss the impending publication of experiments conducted by two independent research groups.

The organisation has since decided there should be a gap of some months between the experiments and the publication of results. They believe the delay will benefit the public at large more than the urgent publication of a part of the results.

The Research

The research has been conducted by two groups - one in the Netherlands and the other based in the United States. These groups have created versions of the H5N1 influenza virus which are more readily transmitted by mammals than the H5N1 virus that occurs naturally.

Scientists believe the experiment's results need to published, so that people are aware of the new H5N1 disease.

"The results of this new research have made it clear that H5N1 viruses have the potential to transmit more easily between people underscoring the critical importance for continued surveillance and research with this virus," said Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General of Health Security and Environment at the World Health Organization.

"There is a preference from a public health perspective for full disclosure of the information in these two studies. However there is significant public concern surrounding this research that should first be addressed," he added.

United Nations