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Study: Vaccine May Protect Against Ebola

Posted on: Thursday, 21 June 2007, 15:00 CDT

U.S. scientists have found a topical respiratory tract vaccine, tested for the first time in primates, might protect against the Ebola virus.

That virus produces a highly contagious form of severe hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate in humans. It's also considered to be a high risk for use as a biological weapon.

Now researchers from the National Institutes of Health have discovered existing intranasal vaccines might prove vital in preventative therapies.

In their study, researchers developed a vaccine incorporating a common pediatric respiratory pathogen -- and administered it by respiratory route to rhesus monkeys. Some monkeys were immunized once and others twice -- then all were given a highly lethal dose of the Ebola virus.

Results showed a single immunization protected 88 percent of the animals against severe hemorrhagic fever and death, while all those receiving two doses not only survived and were symptom free, but no Ebola virus was found in their bloodstream.

To our knowledge, this is the first study in which topical immunization through respiratory tract achieved prevention of a viral hemorrhagic fever infection in a primate model, the researchers said.

The study is reported in the June issue of the Journal of Virology.

Source: United Press International

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