China has a better vaccine for bird flu (Reuters) Updated: 2005-10-16 10:43
China has developed a new and better vaccine for use on birds against the
avian influenza strain that scientists fear could cause a global pandemic among
humans, media reports said on Saturday.
The vaccine had the advantage of fighting another common bird disease, as
well as the H5N1 influenza strain that has spread from Asia to Europe, state
television reported. It identified this as avulavirus APMV-1, also known as
Newcastle disease.
"What's more, the new vaccine is safer, more convenient to use and cannot
kill new born chicks," it said, listing attributes that made it more attractive
to farmers than a vaccine they were already using.
For example, the new vaccine could be applied by spraying.
"In addition, the cost of the new vaccine in mass production is only one
fifth of that of the previous vaccine."
The country was preparing to put the vaccine into mass production, Xinhua new
agency reported. The H5N1 bird flu strain emerged in Hong Kong in 1997,
resurfaced in 2003 in South Korea and has since spread to other Asian countries
and Europe. It was confirmed on Saturday in Romania.
The disease has infected 117 people and killed 60, according to the World
Health Organization, which believes it is only a matter of time before it
develops the ability to pass easily from human to human, possibly causing a
catastrophic pandemic.
|