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H1N1 virus

Is it a man-made, genetically-engineered virus?

Conspiracy theories about the H1N1 virus being a man-made, genetically-engineered virus began to emerge very soon after the H1N1 swine flu outbreak began in mid-April 2009. Most of these theories centre around the idea that the flu virus was created — and a H1N1 virus flu pandemic hastily declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) — as part of a plan to boost the sale of flu drugs and vaccines, which will earn pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars.
It is not just because some people are sceptical. As one commentator rightly pointed out, there were no similar theories being circulated — or at least none were taken seriously — when the avian flu first appeared some years ago.
With the current H1N1 virus, the circumstances are highly suspicious. And some of the theories about H1N1 being a man-made virus are coming from prominent scientists.

Professor Adrian Gibbs
One of them is Professor Adrian Gibbs, a 75-year-old semi-retired Australian researcher who is an expert on viruses. Prof Gibbs had authored more than 250 scientific publications on viruses during his 40-year career at the Australian National University in Canberra. He had also worked with the Swiss drug maker, Roche, to develop the anti-viral flu drug, oseltamivir or Tamiflu,
Adrian Gibbs was among the first scientists to analyse the genetic makeup of the H1N1 virus. Just three weeks after the virus was first identified in Mexico, Adrian Gibbs stunned the world by declaring that the H1N1 virus could have accidentally evolved in eggs that scientists use to grow viruses and drug makers use while making vaccines.
In a 13 May 2009 interview with Bloomberg Television, Professor Adrian Gibbs said he reached his conclusion while working to trace the H1N1?s origins by analyzing its genetic blueprint. ?It could be a mistake? that occurred at a vaccine production facility or the virus could have jumped from a pig to another mammal or a bird before reaching humans, Gibbs said.
The WHO took Prof Gibbs’ theory seriously enough to evaluate it but dismissed it a few days later as having no evidence. Indeed Gibbs himself acknowledged that there was no evidence and did not rule out other possible explanations for the origins of the H1N1 virus. But Adrian Gibbs said: “One of the simplest explanations is that it?s a laboratory escape.”

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