The US government, in collaboration with Chinese scientists, is spending $1 million of US taxpayer money to fund gain-of-function experiments with dangerous bird flu viruses.
The research involves infecting ducks and geese with different strains to make them more transmissible and contagious, and studying the viruses’ potential to “jump into mammalian hosts,” according to the research papers.
It is funded by the US Department of Agriculture and will take place in locations in Georgia, Beijing and Edinburgh in Scotland.
It’s coming despite such research being restricted in 2022 and concerns growing that questionable Chinese research may have been the start Covid pandemic.
The photo of animal experiments comes from the USDA laboratory working with Chinese government scientists on bird flu gain-of-function research
The above shows a caged chicken from the USDA laboratory working with Chinese government scientists to research avian flu function enhancement
The above shows a caged chicken from the USDA laboratory working with Chinese government scientists to research avian flu function enhancement
The documents were obtained by campaign group The White Coat Waste Project and shared with DailyMail.com.
The papers show that funding for the avian virus research began in April 2021 and will continue through March 2026.
The specific viruses the researchers will work with include H5NX, H7N9 and H9N2.
A 2023 study described H5NX viruses as ‘highly pathogenic’ with the ability to cause neurological complications in humans.
The H7N9 strain first infected people and animals in China in March 2013 and the World Health Organization said this is concerning “as most patients have become seriously ill.”
The H9N2 strain has been found in pigeons in China and although it has lower pathogenicity than the other strains, it can still infect humans.
Key collaborators on the project are the USDA Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, a laboratory partner from Wuhan.
In addition, one of the researchers funded by the USDA is Wenju Liu, who is affiliated with the WIV – which is believed to have caused the Covid pandemic – and serves on the board of directors of a scientific journal, which collaborates with Zheng -Li Shi. who is known as the ‘bat lady’ for her extensive work on bat coronaviruses.
Various aspects of the research will take place at multiple locations, including poultry research centers in Athens, Georgia, at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh. and at the Chinese Academy in Beijing.
Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa wrote a letter Thursday to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for more information about the department’s ongoing funding of the study.
One of the researchers funded by the USDA is Wenju Liu, an affiliate of the WIV and a board member of a scientific journal, where he collaborates with Zheng-Li Shi, known as the “bat lady” for her extensive work. about bat coronaviruses
The research involves infecting ducks and geese with bird flu viruses in gain-of-function experiments to make the diseases more transmissible and contagious.
The specific viruses the researchers will work with include H5NX, H7N9 and H9N2
Between 2015 and 2023, at least seven U.S. entities provided NIH grant money to laboratories in China that conduct animal testing, totaling $3,306,061
Shi Zhengli – dubbed the ‘Bat Lady’ or ‘Bat Woman’ for her work on bat coronaviruses – is pictured in a laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. She tracked down dozens of deadly Covid-like viruses in bat caves and studied them at the WIV
Justin Goodman, senior vice president of WCW, said in a statement to DailyMail.com: “It is reckless and indefensible for… bureaucrats to fund dangerous studies into the inner workings of bird flu involving virus researchers from Wuhan’s infamous animal laboratory involved. likely the cause of COVID and its CCP-led parent organization, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“Taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for animal testing with foreign adversaries that can push viruses and cause pandemics or create bioweapons.”
Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa wrote a letter Thursday to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for more information about the department’s ongoing funding of the study.
Following the release of the documents by WCW, Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa wrote a letter Thursday to Tom Vilsack, secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, asking for more information about the department’s ongoing funding of the investigation.
The letter read: “I was disturbed to learn from the nonprofit White Coat Waste Project that USDA is supporting experiments with a ‘highly pathogenic avian flu virus’ that poses a ‘risk to both animals and humans.’
Sen. Ernst said in a statement to DailyMail.com: “The health and safety of Americans is too important to take lightly, and Biden’s USDA should have been more understanding before sending taxpayer money to deal with (China ) to collaborate on risky research into bird flu. .
“They should know by now to suspect ‘fowl’ play when it comes to researchers linked to the dangerous Wuhan Lab, and simply switching from bats to birds is raising concerns that they are creating more pathogens with pandemic potential.”
“Here’s my warning: The Biden administration should walk on eggshells until it cuts off every cent going to our adversaries. We cannot allow what happened in Wuhan to happen again.”
DailyMail.com has contacted the USDA for comment.