May 30, 2024

 

University of Pennsylvania, US develops experimental mRNA vaccine for bird flu

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) are developing an experimental mRNA vaccine to combat the H5N1 subtype of avian flu, which has affected both poultry and cattle and has already infected three humans in the US, Fast Company reported.

 

Although the health risk to the public remains low and there are no sustained signs of human-to-human transmission, officials are proceeding cautiously considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Scott Hensley, a professor of microbiology at UPenn's Perelman School of Medicine, highlighted the benefits of mRNA technology in vaccine development. Hensley said the mRNA technology allows them to be much more agile in developing vaccines, they can start creating an mRNA vaccine within hours of sequencing a new viral strain with pandemic potential.

 

He noted that during previous influenza pandemics, vaccines were difficult to manufacture and were not available until after the initial pandemic waves had subsided.

 

The experimental vaccine aims to manage the virus outbreak in birds and cattle and prevent human interactions. In addition to the potential human threat, H5N1 poses a significant danger to both livestock and poultry industries. The rise in egg prices, which jumped 16% from January to late April, underscores the economic impact of the virus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated US$98 million to the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to help livestock farmers curb the virus's spread.

 

UPenn's research team is collaborating with immunologist Dr Drew Weissman, a co-winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize for his work on mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

Weissman said before 2020, experts thought the influenza virus posed the greatest risk of causing a pandemic, and they had limited options for creating a vaccine if that had happened. COVID-19 showed the power of mRNA-based vaccines as a tool to protect humans from emerging viruses quickly.

 

The vaccine has been tested on mice and ferrets, showing promising results. Vaccinated animals maintained high antibody levels a year after vaccination and exhibited reduced symptoms when infected. All vaccinated animals survived H5N1 infection, unlike the unvaccinated control group.

 

Traditional vaccines are generally egg-based, involving a lengthy six-month development process. In contrast, mRNA vaccines can be developed much faster. UPenn researchers found that the mRNA vaccine was as effective as traditional vaccines.

 

As a precaution, the government is filling just under 5 million vialed doses of bird flu vaccines into the national stockpile, a process that can take several months. H5N1, first identified in 1997, has infected 900 humans, with a fatality rate of 50%. The recent human cases have all recovered.

 

More than 92 million poultry in 48 US states and 63 dairy herds have been affected by H5N1, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The USDA has been inspecting cattle before slaughter to ensure they are fit for human consumption, and officials maintain confidence in the safety of the meat supply. The US FDA also assures there is no concern regarding pasteurized dairy products.

 

-      Fast Company