Risk assessment of genetically modified pathogens: spotlight on influenza A viruses

Before starting to work with a genetically modified pathogen in a laboratory, risks associated with its genetic modification must be assessed. This can be a difficult task, particularly when the modified organism has a highly variable genome. A remarkable example for this is influenza A virus. Influenza viruses are notorious for their genetic variability. These viruses can easily switch between hosts and their pathogenicity can change dramatically due to the introduction of only few mutations. Thus, the genetic modification of influenza viruses creates a challenging situation for everybody involved in risk assessment. Therefore, the German Central Committee on Biological Safety (ZKBS), which examines genetically modified organisms for possible risks, has installed an influenza working group. The working group analyses past risk assessment decisions as well as current scientific discoveries to develop new strategies for risk assessment of genetically modified influenza A viruses.