Scientists claim bird flu breakthrough
Bird flu is a major global public health concern
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Tuesday, 29, May 2007 08:14
Scientists claim to have made a breakthrough in efforts targeting the spread of bird flu.
They have found that antibodies taken from survivors of the human form of avian influenza are effective at neutralising the H5N1 strain in mice.
Researchers in Vietnam, the US and Switzerland have established that antibodies taken from adult sufferers also provide immunity for those who are subsequently exposed to infection of the virus.
Experiments showed that mice injected with the antibodies had significantly less of the virus in their lungs and next to no virus in their brain or spleen.
Many humans who have died from the H5N1 strain had the virus spread from their lungs to elsewhere in the body.
The antibodies appear to be effective up to 72 hours after the initial infection takes place.
"This is particularly important as people who have become infected with the virus do not tend to report to their local healthcare facilities until several days after the onset of illness," Dr Cameron Simmons of the Oxford University clinical research unit in Vietnam said.
"We are optimistic that these antibodies, if delivered at the right time and at the right amount, could. provide a clinical benefit to humans with H5N1 infections," she added.
By mid-May 306 humans had been infected by the H5N1 virus, according to the World Health Organisation, of which 185 died.
Four people were infected with a milder strain of bird flu, known as H7N2, in Wales last week. Three were initially hospitalised before being subsequently discharged, the Health Protection Agency said.