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Otago graduates develop vaccine for deadly flu

11 April 2003

Two University of Otago graduates have helped develop a new vaccine for a deadly Hong Kong flu, which emerged at the same time and in the same place as killer virus Sars.
 

A research team – led by Richard Webby, who graduated from Otago in 1999 – based at St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, has developed a vaccine for a the Hong Kong bird virus, which can be fatal to humans.

The development, which took four weeks, is being heralded as significant for its speed and for setting up a potential vaccine for Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which has killed more than 100 people worldwide.

The team worked in the laboratory of another Otago graduate Robert Webster, director of the World Health Organisation collaborating centre at St Jude's which studies animal influenza viruses.

In a statement from St Jude Hospital, Dr Webster said the vaccine was significant because humans had no natural immunity to the bird virus.

"In fact, the sudden appearance of Sars in the same region of the world is just another warning that the large populations of people and poultry in this region are a potential source of viruses," he said.

Sars appeared to have emerged at the same time and in the same place as the flu virus.

The vaccine has been sent to Atlanta and London for testing in preparation for human trials.

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