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. 2014 Apr 8;11(4):e1001623.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001623. eCollection 2014 Apr.

The use of preliminary scientific evidence in public health: a case study of XMRV

Kumanan Wilson  1 , Katherine Atkinson  2 , Jennifer Keelan  3
Affiliations

The use of preliminary scientific evidence in public health: a case study of XMRV

Kumanan Wilson et al. PLoS Med. .

Abstract

Kumanan Wilson and colleagues explain how the rapid response to XMRV as a novel pathogen has highlighted some challenges pertaining to policy-making and editorial responsibilities. The impact on policy and the propagation of the initial scientific information may not cease if the evidence is disproven and retracted from the peer-reviewed literature, which creates a challenge for regulators and scientific journals. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

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Conflict of interest statement

KW is an unpaid member of Canadian Blood Services Scientific Advisory Board. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Recommendations for policy makers and journal editors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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