Genetically Modified Chickens: Don’t Pass on the Flu!
“The secret of flu-proofing chicken flocks is an artificial gene that contains a snippet of genetic material from the H5N1 flu virus. This bit of RNA codes for polymerase, an enzyme flu viruses need to make more of themselves… better than a vaccine”
What are the potential hazards of this new method? (Scientist’s still don’t even know!) What could this mean for the future food industry? What other protocol, labeling, and requirements will need to follow such changes!?
The idea of genetically modifying chickens so that they can't pass on a lethal flu virus, especially to humans, seem to be in the best interests of everyone, yet we don't know the future harms that it could have on chickens and on humans who will eat the GM chickens. The article claims that these chickens will have "an artificial gene that contains a snippet of genetic material from the H5N1 flu virus" which will prevent the virus from replicating. So even though the virus will not be able to pass on airborne illnesses to other fowls and humans, what happens when humans eat these chickens? The article doesn't say if the virus will be completely neutralized in the GM chickens, so it is safe to ingest a bit of the flu virus? While the intention behind genetically modified chickens is good, I don't think the scientists have thought about the food effects of GM chickens. With the flu virus constantly changing, I don't think the virus will be completely eradicated. The artificial gene might work for the first couple of generations, but for all we know, the virus could adapt and evolve to make a reappearance in the future.
ReplyDeleteIf scientists have worked out the potential hazards of eating GM chickens, then these chickens might replace regular chickens. Then, the future food industry will decline because they will have to get rid of the "billions of ordinary chickens in commercial poultry herds" that are not protected from the virus. On a side note, it would be ironic to exterminate normal chickens to keep human populations safe from a disease when in the past, they would have killed the infected animals for the same purpose (e.g. the infected cows of Mad Cow Disease). Anyway, the future of food industries will depend on consumers and what they prefer to eat. Like with the genetically modified foods today, some people will not know the difference and eat them, but some will refuse to ingest something they think is "fake".
These changes will need to be constantly monitored to observe any noticeable effects of eating GM chickens, and organizations, such as the FDA, will need to approve these chickens and deem them safe for the public. Also, all GM chickens will need to be labelled that they are genetically modified so that consumers will be informed and be able to choose if they want to buy that meat or not.
I am reading and re-reading to try to understand how they are actually making these genetically modified chickens. They add a snippet of genetic material from the H5N1 flu virus which would code for polymerase - which aids in transcription but that to me seems dangerous. Even if you inject the virus into the chicken and it latches on to this "fake polyerase" what is it to stop from actually transcribing. Even in the article they said it was highly unlikely but not impossible that all the sites that need to be activated will be. It does sound better then a vaccine, but it just looks like a longer lasting vaccine, one that might need to be continuously given because of the evolving nature of the virus but that over time would also become ineffective.
ReplyDeleteThey are conducting more testing on the implications of this which of course will be needed before people will begin eating the chicken. Since no one will be able to tell how this will effect humans. Though when this type of genetic modification occurs I always think of the implication on the environment. Since chicken who won't be bread with this will be able to harvest the disease and evolve it into something very dangerous for humans and birds.
Labelling wise I feel this would be similar to food that is organic and it would be labled as such, and if this was the case I do not see many people wanting to buy it not only because the general public will not really understand the implication that GM products. GM everything chicken, beef, and ect. is a scary thought. I would like to eat with least GM when ever I can I would like to eat natural and when the entire food industry becomes GM it will be chaos to the natural environment.
The FDA would have a hard time regulating GM and non GM products unless it was standard through out each state.
Like Veronika and Jenny mentioned, this article raises very interesting implications. On one hand, this seems like a very effective preventative technique for a virus, which is traditionally difficult to both prevent (vaccines often have to be modified because the virus mutates very quickly) or treated (there are few effective antivirals. Based on the idea of herd immunity, a widespread replacement of normal chickens for GM chickens could potentially reduce (if not temporarily eradicate) many flu strains, especially the particularly dangerous H5N1 strain.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the article did not emphasize the potential risks of GM chickens. First, while the fake polymerase is an ingenious, and hopefully long lasting technique, it necessarily has a somewhat low cost-benefit ratio. To be effective, many chickens (if not ideally all chickens) would have this genetic modification to limit the spread of the H5N1 virus. However, even though mutations that could circumvent the polymerase are "low," it is still possible, particularly considering the fact that viruses mutate and replicate at very high rates. If that occured, all the GM chickens would be completely useless and would either have to be replaced with new GM chickens.
The idea of inserting a faulty polymerase is ingenious, but could be risky. Like the "Bubble Boy" from class, who underwent gene therapy but suffered from cancer as a result, tampering with the enormously delicate and interwoven machinery that are the gene expression and gene regulatory systems could cause serious side effects (like cancer) that could damage the chicken population or even pose some danger to humans. Hopefully, long-term research will be conducted effectively and validate safety of the chicken.
Another difficulty is in distribution. The chickens would have to be labelled as GM chickens, partly for consumers and partly so GM chickens would not mate with normal chickens. Unless an effective labelling system is established, the risk of cross-breeding is a serious concern since the genetic result is uncertain. Also, H5N1 has a high prevalence in areas were chickens may not all be controlled by a large company, but rather by individual farmers. Educating the owners of small numbers of chickens, and providing the new GM chickens, could be a policy nightmare considering that there may be significant social and cultural barriers (especially if the GM chickens are produced by a US company. If GM chickens pass the test of long-term trials, strict regulation and protocols would have to be developed to ensure that no cross-breeding occurs and to ensure that widespread replacement of normal chickens occurs, especially in areas with a high prevalence of influenza in chickens. If such a change occurred, it would likely change the balance of power in the food industry since only one (or maybe several) companies will control the GM chickens.
I think Sami has touched on a very important point. Flu viruses notoriously mutate very quickly and different types (swine, bird, human) often combine to form new and unfamiliar strains. That's why they need to come out with a new flu vaccine every fall - from year to year, different strains of flu will be more or less prevalent and more or less likely to cause illness, making it difficult to ensure protection from the same vaccine as the year before. Identifying the appropriate strains to include in the yearly vaccine is also known to be difficult as flu patterns are hard to predict.
DeleteWith that in mind, the enormous effort and expense of inoculating enough chickens with the mutated polymerase may end up being a complete waste of resources if/when the virus mutates. Putting such selective pressure on it may in fact encourage it to mutate sooner. The risks of creating an even more dangerous form of H5N1 (in addition to the risk associated with GM chickens that other commentators have mentioned) should encourage researchers to proceed with EXTREME caution when genetically modifying an already deadly disease.
The goal of these genetically modified chickens makes sense, but there are so many factors to consider before actually implementing the practice. I understand the fact that the avian flu is a major threat to the health and life of many individuals. Because of the increase in globalization and trade in the world, the threat of the avian flu becomes even more paramount. However, we must be careful and precautionary with our science. We do not want to cause more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteIn theory the genetically modified chickens seem like a very effective way of limiting the spread of avian flu but the practice seems more difficult. First of all, there are the potential unknown hazards of genetically modifying crops: Will it cause new strains of flu to form? Will it cause mutant genes in chickens? How will it affect the humans that consume the chicken? Will it be effective over time and across all types of chickens?
Other than the potential health hazards it is important to think about the issues of implementation and distribution that Sami mentioned above. How will the genetic modification affect mating and reproduction of the chickens? Will consumers and government agencies approve the modification? How will government agencies monitor and evaluate the chickens, especially with such high levels of importation of poultry? Will the price of poultry increase due to the modification?
While the approach and goal of decreasing the spread of avian flu is important, it is also vital to anticipate potential hazards and issues.
As previous commenters have discussed, I am intrigued by the concept of genetically modified chickens. However, I need more information. What does this mean for the taste of the chickens? And the price? Obviously, I think it would beneficial if this could be implemented into our diet without any consequences whatsoever, but this is almost never the case. I would like to see a study published beforehand to see the short and long term effects of this genetic modification in humans as well as the chickens.
ReplyDeleteThe flu is an enormous health problem in the US today that often can be fatal for certain populations including young children, the immunosuppressed and the elderly. If we can prevent some of these fatalities by this genetic modification, I am all for it. In addition, I would like to see the proof that this is better than the flu vaccine. I understand that certain strains of the flu are not protected against when the vaccine is administered, but what is to say that the same can be true for the genetically modified chickens?
This article raises many questions but the idea of genetically modifies chickens to prevent the spread of flu viruses would be very beneficial to the public. Vaccines have always been a daunting task to both humans and farm animals so the idea of having an artificial polymerase to prevent flu viruses from replicating would put us at a big advantage.Years of research still need to be performed to determine if this method is successful and if it will actually prevent flu viruses from spreading.
ReplyDeleteModifying any living things genetic make up can never be just that simple so I except there to be some limitations with this modification and also some chickens may have different results from others due to their variance.The article states "that because each one of the flu virus's eight genetic elements needs a polymerase gene to replicate; simultaneous mutants in all these places on the viral genome is "highly improbable,." Improbable meaning there is a slight chance but highly unlikely so really scientists are not sure on the success rates of these GM chickens. Even though I would love to see the results with this in the coming years, I won't be surprised if the prices for these GM chickens are outrageously high. Also, As was previously said, these chickens would have to marketed very well to the public for it to be successfully sold. The public may not be as accepting to buying genetically modified products.
Although genetically modifying chickens to prevent the spread of H5N1 flu seems like a great idea public health wise, because there isn't a lot of research on side effects, it could also be disastrous for the public health.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of eating something that has been genetically altered, doesn't sit well with me and I'm sure a lot of other consumers out there. What if consuming this animal leads to other health issues?
Suppose these chickens are successful at eliminating the spread of flu, does this mean that now all meats will be modified to stop the spread of disease?
I realize that the intention is to stop the spread of disease but how far is society willing to go?
Regardless of the opinions of those who oppose this, scientist are always going to find new ways to advance or modify things that occur naturally in nature. I think consumers should definetly be given a choice of what they want to consume. These modified products should be clearly labeled with this risks and benefits of consuming them. Whoevers willing to be the guinea pigs for potential hazards are welcome to take the risk.
An interesting statistic to bring up: as much as 70% of the processed food you eat contains ingredients from GMOs. If you think that your diet is exempt from any genetic modification, then chances are you're very wrong. Beginning with Monsanto's genetically engineered seeds and soybeans (it's estimated that over 90% of U.S. soybeans are GM'd, as are >80% cotton and corn), the GMO "revolution" has now transformed the food industry with half its consumers unknowingly consuming genetically altered foods because they aren't labeled. When it comes to modifying chickens, and potentially other livestock, I'm not surprised at all that the private sector and scientists are pushing the project along. As many of the students above have discussed, there are both benefits and concerns. I do think that Americans have a right to know if the food they're buying has been genetically modified, but I don't think consumers will win the fight against agricultural biotech companies to enforce proper product labeling. I also wonder if the modification can be passed on to offspring, and if this in turn raises more concerns if a negative health outcome tied to GM chickens is found.
ReplyDeleteAt our current understanding of genetic engineering, every insertion we make in the genome is a little haphazard. The insertion in question could likely cause unwanted mutations in the chickens in a few generations, if not sooner. Like others, I think we need to carefully study these genetically modified chickens before we implement this strategy. Another, albeit slower, option would be to naturally select chickens who show resistance or immunity to viruses. We have already selected chickens over thousands of generations for bigger breasts, wings, and thighs. Why not start selecting for disease resistance? This method, although possibly bringing its own changes to the chicken population, would allow us to more carefully monitor any strange occurrences within the domesticated chicken genome.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I am amazed and baffled that we have the ability to make things such as fake polymerases. Initially it sounds like a great idea, but after further thought I am skeptical. I understand that the H5N1 poses a threat to our children and elderly now, but viruses are constantly evolving. After years of testing to ensure its safety is it really going to be that useful? Its hard to say whether that particular virus will be as great of a threat, and if all of the money going into its development will be worth it. Personally, I think vaccines have proven to be very useful, and I would rather see farmers use this method to protect their flocks. In addition, as stated by many of my peers, no one can predict the implications that this modification may have on the consumer population. The producers are just trying to make money so I question whether they truly value the public's safety. Also, if and when these GM animals become available to the public I would like to see the FDA put strict regulations on their labeling. Since this is probably a long shot I might just stick to organic foods..
ReplyDeleteThis is a great scientific breakthrough, simply because we have been dealing with diseases transferred from animal and flock for years. This presents a feasible solution to our problem, but as the article it helps against all "A" strands of the the flu which would address all major flu viruses we have had issues with in the past.
ReplyDeleteThis dues present several dangers though because scientist have yet to see any hazards with such methods. This does not mean there may not be any or that they may even exist, but this must be tested to see if generations of these GM do not present any issues. Also we must see how humans react to these GM, as we know we all consume these animals. Studies have shown what effects this may have on the animals being injected but there is no research available to what side effects this may have if you consume these animals. Also what are the possibilities that these viruses will adapt and find a way to ignore the fake polymerase, and if there is any what steps are being taken to make sure that this can be treated in the future.
Although I see this as a great breakthrough because we will be able to target issues that we have with poultry and create a safer environment as well as work to improve public health. The issue i see with this is that there are current issues with hormones being injected into animals such as chickens, and getting this approved by the government as well as having groups support this movement would be extremely difficult.
I see potential hazards with this method being that it could do harm to humans. For the food industry this would be an incredible breakthrough because their meat would be safe and they would not have to worry about their chickens or animals being sick. Now i feel that these animals or meat/eggs from these animals would have to be labeled so that people know that the DNA/genes of the animals they are consuming have been altered and that they are not "organic"
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