Preliminary data from a recent airport incident suggests that researching viral pathogens is strongly associated with facing federal criminal charges, though experts caution that more research is needed to establish direct causation.
The two virologists, who were stopped en route from an African hot zone, self-reported being detained by federal officials for violating import rules regarding completely harmless, inactive pathogens. While the scientists characterized the arrests as evidence of a systemic government harassment campaign, epistemologists warn against drawing broad systemic conclusions from an observational cohort of just two individuals.
While the initial findings show a robust correlation between containing a deadly pathogen and being placed in federal holding, we must account for confounding variables. It is entirely possible these researchers were tackled by armed agents for completely unrelated reasons.
Analysts reviewing the customs data noted that while the inactivated samples posed absolutely no threat to public health, holding a doctorate in virology appears to be a major risk factor for sudden airport interrogations. A review of the incident published in a recent JAMA paper suggested that the government response was statistically disproportionate, but stopped short of recommending an end to the prosecutions without further longitudinal studies.
At press time, the NIH updated its travel protocols, advising researchers that the most effective way to avoid federal indictment is to simply let the next global pandemic run its natural course.