December 6, 2012

UK institute reveals breakthrough in bird flu research

UK-based researchers have announced a significant breakthrough in dealing with avian influenza.

The Pirbright Institute, working in conjunction with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, University of Oxford and the Jenner Institute, has claimed it has taken a vital step towards creating a vaccine to tackle the issue.

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a major challenge to the global poultry sector, devastating production in areas like south and east Asia, as well as posing a serious threat to human health.

Publishing the research in the journal Vaccine, lead researcher, Dr Colin Butter, said: "Traditional avian flu vaccines are only effective against one particular type of flu, but we want to be able to protect birds and, ultimately, people against different subtypes, using just one vaccine. This research suggests that, in principle, a universal vaccine is possible."

According to the team, the vaccine has been developed from a human flu virus to provoke an immune response in chickens, which can prevent multiple strains of flu. It is also hoped the vaccine will work towards reducing the spread of the virus within flocks.