Sharing bird flu virus samples must benefit all - WHO

David Heymann, assistant director-general for communicable diseases at the WHO, said bird flu virus samples are tradable goods and must be treated as such by drug companies and industrialized countries. 

"We must figure the right way to move ahead to make sure that sharing of these public goods -- the viruses -- also leads to sharing of the benefits," said Heymann during a panel discussion about pandemic diseases at the Pacific Health Summit in Seattle. "We have to take this to heart very clearly."