Researchers have developed a vaccine that can protect birds and mammals from potentially fatal bird flu.
Professor Daniel Perez and colleagues from the University of Maryland found that a vaccine developed from the internal genes or “backbone” of the H9N2 virus, which infects guinea fowl, was capable of protecting mice and birds from the H1N1 virus – the virus responsible for the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic – and the H5N1bird flu virus.
Furthermore, studies showed that the vaccine was able to protect birds against the H5N1 strain even when it was administered to them before they were hatched. This means that wild bird populations and domestic chickens could be vaccinated against the disease, thus limiting the spread of the disease to humans.
Hickman D, Hossain J, Song H, Araya Y, Solorzano A, Perez DR. An avian live attenuated master backbone for potential use in epidemic and pandemic influenza vaccines. J Gen Virol. 2008;89:2682-2690; DOI 10.1099/vir.0.2008/004143-0
